By Abdul Savage
Some proponents of collaboration among these diasporan entities have submitted, in their arguments that all roads must lead to Banjul. On the surface, such submission might appear like a compelling case, but upon thorough examination, such a proposition has cracks all over it. For starters, on what roads that must lead to Banjul? Paved road, which is “peaceful”? Or rough, which is “force? Or by any and all means? Or is it all of them? Or is it a blend?
And if the struggle is a “relay”, what kind of relay is it? And what baton are some holding? Are some holding “guns” or “force” or “peaceful means” or “dialogue” or “reconciliation” as baton? You get the gist of where I am going here with my questions. Don’t you?
Alright, let’s put this line of questioning aside for now, and don’t tell me we can’t ask questions. So, these lines of questioning aside for now, let’s proceed.
Proponents of “collaboration” have also put forward that using this social media, facebook, online radios and so on is part of “educating” the people. TRUE, I will give them that. That is indeed part of “educating” the people. However, allow me to add that, as much as education is part of any “movement”, that “movement” is not complete until there is “empowerment” and “action”. So, you can put or do all the education you want in a movement, until it is sanctioned with “empowerment” and “action”, it is nothing, NOTHING. Movement without “empowerment” and “action” is not completely a movement, despite all the “education” you put into it. A classic example that comes on top of my mind is that of the civil rights movement here in America. All kinds of ways, means and methods were devised, developed and used to educate the people, but at some point, empowerment and action were needed and used to complete “the struggle”. And when we are UNITED we can begin to approach our people back home to start the “empowerment and action” processes. Our people back home will not give much credence to us if we are as divided as we are.
And all these factions all over the place competing for attention are, in some respect, bringing attention to the plight of Gambians, but they are, in other regards, doing a disservice to The Gambia.
We must applaud and encourage any gesture of good faith efforts to reach and project some UNITY, or resemblance of it. We must encourage and continue to put pressure on these diasporan entities to thread FIRST down the path of Unity to fight a shared and common predicament in any and every way we can, before any other topic, such as the “use of force” is entertained or even discussed. However, I would respectfully urge that we refrain from public engagements or publicity stunts that most people familiar with the workings of this “diaspora’ would consider as nothing, but just that, that is, pure “publicity stunts”, without any good faith intent to bring UNITY. Such maneuver, as much as it worth applauding, is misleading, and a disservice to the struggle.
We want genuine UNITY, not facade unity, with the hopes that they can go back and form their entity if they disagree with the Parent Entity or Umbrella. We will go further, stronger and longer with a UNITED front in any and every way than individual efforts. So, instead of having individual races to get there first, why not pull our limited resources together in any and every way we can to fight a shared and common enemy in any and every way we can? UNITED effort to fight a shared and common predicament is effective and eloquent than divisive efforts.
For example, say if these diasporan entities come together under one Umbrella, and demand to meet the Gambian Ambassador in D.C. or submit a petition to him and make their demands to him, the State Department or the Home Office in the UK, don’t you think that monster regime back home will not be forced to engage in a dialogue, at the earliest? On the other hand, if each of these entities keeps making appearances to the Gambian Ambassador in D.C., the State Department of the Home Office it will not appear as compelling as a UNITED FRONT approaching that Monster, or these Governmental entities. Are you following my line of thinking here? Who will give more credence to “this struggle” when there are so many entities within this limited space?
A United Front is a formidable force, than divisive entities or fronts, and it will have more resources, cloud, and credibility (both inside and outside The Gambia) and will be able to make a tremendous impact, as expeditiously as possible.
We must give the Gambia a sense of hope not shrouded in, or wrapped around egos, self-centered perspectives, interests or other ulterior motives. The Gambia needs tough love, plenty of help and some dosage of nurturing. And when we make decisions “to act or not to act”, we must employ professional judgment, caution and planning, not emotions or desperation. Decisions to act must be based on caution and planning, not on popular appeal or novelty of the idea or desperation.
I submit that we can do all these “brilliant analysis” but after all is said and done, those voters in the Gambia are the ones that matter, not us in the diaspora. So, if we can’t get our acts together in UNITY in this diaspora how can we expect our people back home to see and perceive us? On the contrary, if we project some UNITY we will not only be a formidable force to reckon with, but that Monster will have no option but to engage in a dialogue.
And when these different entities UNITE they must declare to their followers and the public that they have dissolved and come together under one UMMRELLA, to fight a shared and common enemy in every and any way we can.
We don’t want to recycle the whole process again, and again. We want one final UNITY for all.
Disenchantment and fed-up sentiments are being expressed against certain groups and or individuals, and rightfully so.
Proponents of “collaboration” also gave all kinds of examples from South Africa, Thailand, Burkina Faso, Egypt, and so on. I respectfully submit that such examples as used by proponents of “collaboration” are disingenuous and misleading. And this is why: We all understand different political or non-political landscapes operate under different sets of circumstances, events and so on. So, it will not only be unfitting and unrealistic, but even dangerous to transpose and or apply the contexts of struggle in South Africa, Egypt, Burkina Faso, or events in Thailand to that of the Gambia.
The analogies or movements in other countries, such as South Africa, Burkina Faso, Thailand, etc being used or given as examples are of poor taste, and unfitting in our case. Of course, we can learn from other analogies, but the sets of circumstances, atmosphere, times and all are just totally different from the predicament facing the Gambia. With all due respect, I wonder how people would even make such comparisons or use such analogies.
Of course, we can learn from these different times, eras and sets of circumstances, but inferring or implying that we can project such onto the framework of the Gambia I must say is little bit far-fetched, unrealistic and just plain out of touch with realities on the ground in the Gambia.
We are not here to propose or put forward text book ideas we learned from our “political class” in college. The Gambia is not a lab, a choir, a band, or some sort of launching pad. It is a beautiful shoreline that needs some tough love, help with salvaging and plenty of nurturing.
So, if it seems now to be “a disorganized chaos”, why not try to get it to be an “organized chaos” to fight a shared and common enemy in any and every way we can?
Yes, true, all these entities in the diaspora are bringing attention to the plight of the Gambia, relative to the barbaric regime there. However, a UNITED action is effective and eloquent.
We all know that recognizing or knowing what a problem is, is the first step to solving that problem. So, in this case, we all at least can agree that we have conquered the first part of the problem, which is recognizing and accepting the problem. Now, the challenges are how to overcome the interests, egos and ambitions to bring UNITY.
And ohh, according to Constitutional and legal experts in The Gambia, the National Assembly has the option to impeach that Monster, but in whose weirdest imagination or dreams do you think that will ever happen? That is an entirely different topic I have researched and looked into, both inside and outside The Gambia, and by all indications, such is a highly, unlikely possibility . Hence, an even more compelling reason for all these diaporan entities to Unite under One Umbrella, so that they can be a formidable force to be reckoned with, and could avail itself to dislodge that Monster without discounting the appearance and presence of the “use of force” through caution and planning, after exhausting all peaceful means. An arbitrary timeline for him will be on or before 2016, or right there after.
Haven’t we learned anything from the previous divisions in this diaspora?
By all estimation, “the struggle” has been in existence for almost two decades now. And by all indications, it seems that Monster could be in power for another several years. So, we in the diaspora need to re-evaluate and thoroughly examine the options available to us, and which ones to pursue, to effect change of guard as expeditiously as possible, and wrecking as minimal as possible or no collateral national damage. We must employ sound judgment, not Emotions or Desperation, on what to do or not to do, and we must do so in Unity, both at home and in the diaspora.
Monster Jammeh is aware of and feeling the heat and spotlight, and the pressure is mounting, and it is a matter of time before he is forced to face and dance to the tunes and songs of The Gambian people. His dilemma and what he is seemingly preoccupied with is what I will call what he considered to be a “graceful exit”, without destabilizing our Nation, as if he has not already caused enough damage for generations to come. This is the quagmire and predicament of The Gambian people.
There is strength in UNITY of ACTION.
By Abdul Savage
Retired, United States Army
Member, Military Order of the Purple Heart
Member, Veterans of Foreign Wars.