The Gambian military and security forces recruitment policy under Yahya Jammeh is designed for an imminent Jola majority in a country with only seven percent Jola population. And some Mandinkas who share surnames with Jolas are crossing the distinct tribal divide into the social and economic security of Jolaness. Gambia at its worst; one might argue. And there is validity to the definition. Gambia’s recent social and cultural changes may, on the face of it, seem nuanced, but the impact on the character and psychology of Gambian society is profound and devastating. The self-serving Jolanization of the military and the intriguing de-tribalization of the many prideful Mandinkas have, in many subtle ways, originated the horrifying political and tribal deconstruct that has created so much of the alarming bitterness in Gambia society. But, as obnoxious as the cultural bastardization of Gambian society is, it is the recent revelation of the Jolas’ mortifying fear of post-Yahya Jammeh Gambia that is insanely troubling. The shocking revelation by a former police officer who recently returned from Gambia, of the fear of a post-Yahya Jammeh retribution locked in minds of Jolas, is largely underpinned by their conduct and domination of Gambian society over the last decade and half. The morbid fear of a post-Yahya Jammeh Gambia has in effect put Jolas in both the military and security forces almost uniformly behind Yahya Jammeh, despite the fact he murdered, incarcerated and forced the disappearance of more Jolas than any other tribe.
The Jolas’ fear driven effort to willfully help delay Yahya Jammeh’s inevitable departure, is a clear manifestation of the toxic tribal divide created by the intimidation Yahya Jammeh has successfully implanted in the Gambian mind, even as he lulled other Gambians into acquiencing to his traumatic tribal bigotry. Yahya Jammeh’s jaw-dropping tribal divide has shifted Gambia’s political and cultural geography into an artificial construct that ignores the dynamics of Gambian tribal identity. In another somewhat more insidious way, Gambia’s institutionalized bigotry has impelled the egocentric transposition of some Mandinkas, and given rise to the regime’s absurd agenda of economic inequity based on tribal preference. But, Yahya Jammeh’s tribe based governance and economic agenda and the resulting selfish Jolanization of some Mandinkas aside, the former police officer is adamant that because Jola fear is prolonging Yahya Jammeh’s reign of terror, Diaspora dissidents ought to reassure fearful Jolas in the military and security forces of a sense of security after Yahya Jammeh’s departure. The argument is that Jolas will then be more emboldened to oppose Yahya Jammeh and work for his removal if there is a guaranteed of security after Yahya Jammeh. As a way to reassure the Jolas, Gambians are not out for the wholesale indictment of Jolas because of Yahya Jammeh. Unless someone has committed egregious crimes, the safety of every Gambian irrespective of tribe must be assured.
This sentiment speaks to what Gambians in general are committed to happen after the end of Yahya Jammeh’s reign of terror. The rebuilding of the Gambian family will take center stage, and Gambians involved in the murders, tortures and disappearances of fellow Gambians and non-Gambians, irrespective of whether they are Fulas, Mandinkas, Wollofs or Jola, should be answerable to the Gambian people, regardless of where they escape to in the world. Gambians can make a blanket promise to protect Jolas from retribution, because they have never engaged in a sweeping and wholesale tribe based victimization of Gambians. As long as no crimes are committed against the state and individual, Gambians would unquestionably extend protection to regime collaborators whose actions have not condoned, encouraged and contributed to the suffering, deaths and disappearances of Gambians and non-Gambians. The thinking and mindset of Gambians should not be dictated by raw emotions and unjustifiable victimization of innocent Gambians regardless of tribe. The Jolas in the military and security who are fearful of a post-Yahya Jammeh can be reassured that Gambians will maintain their customary civility and above all, honor the covenant of co-existence Gambia enjoyed in the era of freedom in the blissful pre-Yahya Jammeh era. To the extent that Gambians for the most part refuse to be changed by Yahya Jammeh’s mantra of tribal preference, fear of post-Yahya Jammeh retribution is understandable but unreasonable to expect Gambians to stoop so low in character and judgment.