By Abdul Savage
Every society and religion in Mankind history, since the existence of man, have recognized and accepted that if someone is privy to, and or a supporter to a criminal or criminal act, such person and or entity MUST be held “accountable”. I believe it is called “accomplice” by smart people. .
NOW, if by any and all measure of the word, Monster Jammeh is a not “criminal”, from the first day he came into power, until now, 20 plus years later and counting, then, we might want to re-define the word “criminal”. BUT again, let the Gambian people decide his “criminality”. Let the Gambian people decide to “immune” that Monster from all and any acts of “criminality”. If they decide to give him “immunity”, then by default they might extend such “immunity” to all those who ‘aided and abetted” him, past, present and future. But if the Gambian people decide to hold Monster Jammeh “accountable”, then, by default, again, they must hold accountable as well his entire “entourage of accomplices” in his “criminal enterprise”, past, present and future, in any shape, form and or design, ESPECIALLY for and during certain “peak times” of brutality during his 20 plus years of reign of dictatorship. Many of us, or some of us, are aware that this is a tough CALL the Gambian people must make, and they alone must make it; it must not and should not be imposed on the Gambian people, by anything, anybody or everything. It is the decision of the Gambian people ONLY.
WHY should the Gambian people make an exception to this widely accepted humanity rule, known in all religions and societies, just so that we can change that Monster we have in the Gambia, through “reconciliation”, “peace”, “rebellion” or whatever? Of course, we want to CHANGE that regime as soon as possible; in fact, I would SUBMIT that it has long, long overstayed its welcome. BUT what happens after. My point is this: the Gambian people will decide through such mechanisms as Commissions, Inquiries, Elections, Referendums, and other mechanisms. And we will and can enlist all the local help as well as international and regional support help and support we can get, post-Jammeh.
This should go without saying, BUT lately, we continue to see tremendous shift by a minor, insignificant group of the Gambian population, particularly the “Diasporans” overseas, to dissuade the Gambian people from holding people “accountable” post-Jammeh for the crimes committed against The Gambia, during Jammeh;s time. Let the Gambian people decide its Fate.
Jammeh’s reign in The Gambia has been, and continues to be, an impactful traumatic blimp in our brief history of self-rule, such that it must not go unaccounted for. Of course, we all are aware that there “powerful Gambians” at home and overseas (diaspora) who would attempt to ‘shake” the system post-Jammeh to dissuade the Gambian people from seeking “Accountability”, and they will attempt to come up with all kinds of reasons, explanations and or justifications to sway the Gambian people from her wishes. I submit any such attempts will be a great DISSERVICE to the Gambian people, and must be discouraged by any and all fair-minded, honest, patriotic Gambians and non-Gambians.
It is about time we start hearing strong statements from representatives of the Gambian people, such as the Gambia Progressive Party, PDOIS, GMP, UDP and all other political players on the ground at home in The Gambia, relative to reconciliation, truth and accountability going forward post-Jammeh. TRUE, some might argue that it is too premature right about this time to talk about these Accountability issues, but we all can smell, hear and see all kinds of innuendos, statements and pronouncements coming from some quarters, especially in this “diaspora” to immune certain segments of Gambians at home and overseas from ACCOUNTABILITY to the Gambian people.
Not any other group or individual will ever decide that. It is the Gambian people’s decision to decide.
We owe the Gambian people and her future generations that much. Let the Gambian people decide, and they can do that through a REFERENDUM, COMMISSIONS, INQURIES, and other mechanisms, which could be set up post-Jammeh. The wrongs must be righted, and healing processes begin in a framework of Unity, Honesty, Patriotism and Service to our Country. Service to God, Family and Country is the greatest service of all.
Unity at home and in this “diaspora” is key, vital and crucial in confronting and dealing with the shared and common predicament we face back home. And the watch word must be ACCOUNTABILITY to the Gambian people for all the wrongs done to The Gambia, yesterday, today and tomorrow.
If bigger “struggles” like South Africa and other bigger nations in mankind history can go through it, I submit a smaller nation as the Gambian people can go through it, and hold itself Accountable to her, and her future generations. We all know beneath this surface of the “smiling coast of West Africa called The Gambia there lingers underneath 20 plus years now of strong sentiments or desires of revenge, reprisals, recriminations and other forms of retaliation. If the Gambian people do not confront and or deal with this “seething toxic” brewing underneath its surface, generations of Gambians will not know peace. Of course, we will have intervals of “peace” “tranquility” and “development”, but there will be sporadic or infrequent bursts of tensions that could be catastrophic to Gambians, generations to come.
The Gambia has to deal with her own sets of circumstances away from other analogies, but we must learn from other analogies, lest we make costly mistakes, for generations to come.
I would submit here that many of our people back home in the opposition parties are braver and more responsible than some of our people in this “diaspora”. At least the Opposition back home are “operating” under extreme circumstances under the dictatorship there, and they are doing their best under the circumstances to dismantle that regime through the “so-called democratic” processes that barely exist there. If anything, we, in this diaspora, should come together, and link up with them, the opposition back home, and support and encourage them with our limited resources for them to likewise come together under Unity of Action, to confront and deal with the predicament we face back home.
The Gambian diaspora, despite its flaws, limited resources and all, is doing a pretty good job at “this advocacy” trend directed at that monstrous regime we have in The Gambia. However, advocacy does not likewise immune us in the diaspora from ACCOUNTABILITY to the Gambian people. We, in the diaspora, are likewise Accountable to the Gambian people, and we will, and must be held accountable to the Gambian people.
In our rush, or expediency to change that regime back home, Accountability to the Gambian people must be in the spoken, unspoken, written and unwritten MANIFESTO or words of any and all civil society organizations, political or non-political groups and or any Gambian individual or entity, or those supportive of anything and everything Gambian, at home and overseas.
This is The Gambia we want. Any other Gambia that lacks Accountability and Transparency to its people and future generations we do not want it. Accountability and Transparency through representative governance, democracy and the rule of law is the Gambia we want today, tomorrow and forever.
We have a DUTY and Responsibility, and it is to the Gambian people and her future generations. They will write our history.
BY Abdul Savage
US Army, Retired
Member, Military Order of the Purple Heart
Member, Veterans of Foreign Wars.