Gainako Newspaper

Deputy Imam Pa Ebou Jeng says he supports Imam Amadou Kanteh's stance on
the issue of homosexuality. He also reiterates his unwavering support of
President Jammeh's ban on homosexuality in The Gambia. Mr. Jeng further states
that the President was right for initiating such a bold move since Islam does not
welcome homosexuality and the edict by The Gambia government is in line with
islamic principles. Mr. Jeng hailed Imam kanteh's stance on this controversial
issue describing it as � Speaking the truth�
Below is the Imam�s piece.

"O You who believe! Have taqwa with Allah, and be among the truthful."
(Surat al- Tawbah:119)

Many people understand truthfulness to mean truthfulness of the tongue
through speech alone. In reality, truthfulness is a vast curriculum. It is as much one of the
characteristics of the Muslim's personality both outward and inward, as it is his speech and action.
From it are the following:

A. Truthfulness in conveying the Religion: That is, one must profess the correct belief built upon
truthfulness with Allah Azza wa Jall, not upon hypocrisy, deceit and patronization. This is why
truthfulness is mentioned in the Qur'an as the opposite of hypocrisy. "That Allah may reward the
truthful for their truth, and punish the hypocrites if He wills, or turn mercifully towards
them..." (Surat al-Ahzaab:64). Therefore, it is necessary to posses the outward Islam with the
inward Imaan; it is necessary to have the correct belief in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Books,
and the Messengers. The outward guidance must conform to the inward guidance.

Here, is one of the hidden plots of shaytaan who inspires the daa`iya to neglect some of the outward
good deeds under the pretense that his inner reality is not the same. So he avoids this in order to avoid
deceiving the people! This is a huge mistake. The good deed which you perform outwardly is so
because of the righteousness and truthfulness in your heart as long as you do not do it for riyaa'
[show], reputation or in order to deceive the believers.

Pa Ebou Jeng,

.....................................................................................NEWS
......Sheriff Mustapha Dibba
.........A Veteran Politician; Passes Away
.......................................By Solo, Banjul correspondent....June 5th, 2008
Mr. Sheriff M. Dibba has passed away at about the age of 71 years,
born in Salikenni in the Central Badibu District of the North Bank
Division. He was a product of Armitage High school, the only high
school in the provinces in the 1950s and later became a clerk in Banjul,
then colonial Bathurst.

Mr. Dibba then enrolled as a member of the PPP in the early 1960s and
became prominent in politics when he was appointed minister of Local
Government and Lands in 1965. In 1970, Mr. Dibba was appointed as
the vice president and minister of finance when he replaced Mr. Sheriff
Sisay. Mr. Dibba as minister of Local Government and Lands from
1965-1970 went on a tour where he handed dismissal letters to chiefs
who did not support the PPP in the 1959 and 1962 elections such as
Chief Mama Tamba Jammeh of Illiasa which made many to blame him
instead of the President for the sackings.

With this powerful position as vice president and minister of Finance, many eyes were focused on him.
Mr. Dibba�s problems started when his brother Mr. Kutubo Dibba was caught with Mr. Dibba�s
official vehicle in Senegal carrying a lot of Bututs. This created a huge scandal. The bututs were said to
have been sold to be utilized as earrings. The pressure was said to be so intense that Mr. Dibba had
to resign. Mr. Dibba was reinstated as ambassador Extra-ordinary and plenipotentiary with special
responsibilities on the European Economic Commission. But by 10 July 1974, president Jawara
reshuffled his cabinet and Mr. Dibba was again appointed as minister of Economic Planning and
Industrial Development.

More Troubles
However by about July 3rd 1975, news of Mr. Dibba�s dismissal shook the country. He was
removed from his post as minister of Economic Planning and Industrial Development, without any
explanation. But when Jawara was questioned, he stressed Tribalism and Regionalization as possible
reasons which Mr. Dibba denied as unfounded. He however said he was aware of what he called a
malicious campaigns waged against him by certain individuals with the sole and nefarious purpose of
lowering his statute to the position of a Selfish Gambian who was only interested in himself. He added
that he was surprised because for 15 years working in government he was never accused of tribalism.
By 9 August 1975, the Central Baddibu constituents held a meeting at Albion place which was
followed by a mass rally where Mr. Dibba called for a change of leadership of the country; that he
was ready to join with what he called the �progressive forces� for the advancement of the Nation. It
was at this meeting that the National Convention Party was born thus creating a new political situation
for the country. It was envisaged by many observers at the time that the split could augur well for the
country�s democratic process. The NCP however had no ideological difference with the PPP.
The support base of the NCP grew quite rapidly with the vacuum created by the inactivity of the Unity
Party especially in the provinces who joined the ranks of the NCP even before any formal
arrangement was done between the two parties.

By 1977, NCP militants had experienced much difficulty in trying to reach the people. They were
harassed and molested by even the cabinet ministers of the ruling party, �Sare Garaba� a case in
point. Some were tied to trees and flogged, Karanta Jatta, another case in point. This was the time the
PPP militants preached that a government cannot be brought down through an election.

In the 1977 elections, NCP Managed to win 5 seats, while the PPP won 27 seats. This election also
witnessed the nomination of Kukoi Samba Sanyang under the NCP ticket.

More Troubles For Dibba And NCP
By 30 July 1981 Kukoi Samba Sanyang struck with his band of revolutionaries when they entered the
Filed Force Depot, killed the Force commander, Mr. Kekala Baldeh and seized the armory. They
eventually seized the airport, sea port and the National radio. The Senegalese eventually intervened
and restored Jawara�s administration. Mr. Dibba and his close associates like Gibou Jagne were
detained for more than nine months without trial.

Mr. Dibba who stood as a presidential and parliamentary candidate in the 1982 elections could not
campaign due to his incarceration and his colleagues could not also campaign effectively due to the
state of emergency that was put in place with the Emergency powers Act in place. The NCP went
through many traumatizing moments during the period.

The results of the 1982 general elections were not a surprise to many observers. The president Sir
Dawda Jawara, won with a controversial landslide victory with many of the parliamentary seats
returned to the PPP including Mr. Dibba�s Central Baddibu seat for the first time to Hon. Lamin
Kebba Saho. To make matters quite short, Mr. Dibba and co. including an 83 years old man were
freed by the court but not immediately released by the state on the pretext of state security. He was
acquitted and discharged on all the counts including treason.

By 1984, the NCP advocated for the lifting of the state of emergency because in their opinion the
state was no longer threatened. The NCP issued a press release stating that it would not take part in
Sami by-election nor any other elections in this country, as long as the state of emergency exist. They
claimed that the PPP was using the emergency powers to terrorize their supporters, through unlawful
tortures and seizures of voter cards and so on. This action of the NCP took the government by
surprise who saw the move that could badly tarnish their image, decided to immediately to
permanently lift the state of emergency which was trauma for the ordinary person at the time.
By 1987, a new party of a different type emerged. The PDIOS, making the presidential race, a three
way fight. The president barred the new party from using the national radio. The NCP advocated for
foreign observers and journalists to be invited to cover the elections. This was not accepted by the
Government.

After the failure to win the 1987 elections, Mr. Dibba had a secret meeting with President Jawara in
Sussex, England and another one in Banjul to see if the two could work together. But this meetings
were later divulged by Jawara who said Dibba should just join the PPP because they have the
majority. This put a close to the debate but the persistence to engage the PPP somewhat tarnished the
image of the Mr. Dibba as someone who wanted to betray the NCP militants.
By 1989, the Senegalese soldiers withdrew from the Gambia putting an end to the confederation
between the two countries.

By 1992, the country went through another election in which the PPP as usual emerged triumphant.
However Mr. Dibba managed to retrieve his seat and became a member of parliament until 1994
when the country experiences a military coup comprising young lieutenants led by Yahya Jammeh.
Mr. Dibba however did not oppose the coup makers nor did he engage in party politics during the
period. He decided to abide by the decree that prohibits party politics during the two year transitional
rule. By the end of the two-year transition, the military regime came up with another decree that
banned all those who had at one time or another held or participated in the 29 years rule of president
Jawara from running for political office. This ban naturally put together all those affected by the ban to
join and form the United Democratic Party (UDP) led by Lawyer Ousainou Darboe. The UDP
however lost the 1996 presidential elections but by 2001, the regime decided to lift the ban. Mr.
Dibba then revived the NCP and tried to negotiate with the UDP as to who should represent the
coalition which talks failed, motivating him to stand for the NCP in the 2001 presidential elections.
Mr. Dibba�s popularity according to results waned at this time but managed to form a loose alliance
with the ruling APRC where he was nominated and appointed speaker of the Gambia National
Assembly from 2002 to 2006.

By March 22, 2006, there were reports of a foiled coup plot led by the chief of Defence Staff, Lt.
Colonel Ndure Cham. Mr. Sheriff M. Dibba was said to be part of the few civilians arrested allegedly
in connection with the foiled coup detat but was later released. He then went to see the president
immediately to say that he has played no part in the foiled coup plot.

Since then, the veteran politician was reported to be hospitalized at the RVTH and his health was said
to be deteriorating steadily. Mr. Dibba was also reported to have gone to his old constituency during
the 2006 presidential election campaign ostensibly to give support to President Jammeh but very little
was heard of him since then.

Mr. Sheriff Mustahpa Dibba passed away on Monday 2nd June 2008 at the RVTH in Banjul. He is
survived by a wife and many children. Thousands of people converged at his funeral to pay their last
respect to Mr. Dibba.

The veteran politician will be remembered by The Gambian People for waging a relentless struggle for
a multi- party democracy where the people would be the determiners of their destiny. He will also be
remembered for his peaceful methods in nurturing and pampering a fledgling democracy at a time
when the African continent was witnessing Civilian uprisings as in the case of Liberia, to overthrow
unpopular regimes. The veteran politician must be fondly remembered for his party�s slogan,
�Soosolaasoo�coined after the name of a mandinka game, meaning, �We are all inclusive�
May his soul rest in perfect peace?

Gambians in Sweden warming
up for another annual cultural
week: By: Alieu Khan �land Islands��.June 4th, 2008
Many Gambians in Sweden are already in a
frenzy of excitement as they eagerly wait for
the Gambian Cultural Week to kick off. This
event is held at the beginning of the summer
in every year, under the coordination of the
Organisation of Gambians in Sweden (OGIS).

This year's cultural week is tipped to be the
most thrilling. It is not only a coming out party
,but a reunion for many Gambian immigrants
resident in Sweden and neighbouring countries
like Finland, Norway and Denmark.

According to a press release, the week also aims at increasing awareness about the rich Gambian
culture and also encouraging inter-cultural dialogue between Swedes and Gambians. This year's
activities include family outings, football games, cultural nights (fashion show), and also music concerts
featuring famous Senegambian musicians.

It's all starting on the 24th June 2008, with a football match between Banjul 11 and Roots. Roots is
unquestionably one of the popular immigrant teams in the Stockholm suburbs of Rinkeby and Tensta.
This team reminds me of one Musa Jammeh, a Gambian who has lived in Sweden for more than a
decade. He once said to me that football is very instrumental in uniting hearts and I guess this is the
main reason why the cultural week is starting with a football match at the Sundbybergs IP.
The next day is the All White Party with two major Gambian-Swedish DJs Rolex and Mo Hawk. The
duo are well known for organizing wonderful night shows. Mo Hawk is one of the vocalists of
Gambia's leading hip hop group Da Fugitivz. He now lives in Sweden and runs his own recording
studio.
There is also expected to be wollof drumming ( leumbal ), video show and many activities that will be
of interest to both young and old. On the 27th June will offer all genuine Gambian music lovers the
opportunity to roar their admiration and love for Mary N'Diaye, Jalex and Ranking Fire of the former
Born Africans. Mary is a signed young Gambian song writer and also a musician that is tipped to
reach stardom soon.
In the midst of the celebrations Gambian immigrants shall be reminded of their obligations as citizens
by veteran intellectual Papa Jeng. This forum is going to serve as an opportunity to discuss problems
affecting Gambians and also a call for unity and greater collaboration.

The President of OGIS, Brikama's Ismaila Ceesay will be having an interview with journalist Alieu
Khan and this will be published on Gainako. Watch out for this interview next week.

Veteran Politician Sheriff Dibba
Passed away By Yero Jallow..................June 2nd, 2008
News reaching Gainako confirmed the death of veteran politician and
founder of the National Convention Party (NCP) Mr. Sheriff Mustapha
Dibba. He is believed to have died of a stroke.

People who were closed to the late political icon namely one Mr.
Bakary Krubally spoke high of a principled man; with high regard and
respect. "You won't know who sheriff was until you are around him.
"Mr. Krubally's voice faded in a mourning tone. "His political struggle
ended now and he shall rest." Another caller noted.

Sheriff Mustapha Dibba is a veteran Gambian politician who served as the country's National
Assembly speaker from 2002 to 2006. He is also leader of the National Convention Party (NCP).

Dibba was The Gambia's first vice-president. He resigned from that position in 1975 and later formed
the National Convention Party (NCP). Following elections in 1977, the NCP became the main
opposition party in the Gambia.

He was incarcerated in 1981 for alleged involvement in the foiled coup attempt that year, but was
freed after 11 months in detention. A presidential election was held on 4 May 1982, months after a
constitutional amendment instituting direct election of the country's head of state. Dibba was defeated
by incumbent President Dawda Jawara. He ran again as the NCP presidential candidate in 1987 and
1992, placing second to Jawara both times.

Following the overthrow of the Jawara government in 1994, the NCP and other political parties were
banned. The ban on the NCP was lifted in mid-2001 and Dibba contested the election held on 18
October of that year. He was defeated by incumbent President Yahya Jammeh and placed fourth out
of five candidates, winning 3.8% of the vote.

Dibba then gave his support to Jammeh and his party, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and
Construction, (APRC) and after the legislative elections of January 2002, he was elected Speaker of
the National Assembly at the first meeting of the new legislature on 3 February.

In April 2006, Dibba was arrested and dismissed as speaker; he was allegedly linked to the coup
attempt against Jammeh in the previous month. Dibba and the NCP nevertheless backed Jammeh in
the September 2006 presidential election; Dibba himself was over 65 years old by this time and was
therefore not eligible to run.

Tributes has been flooding in Gambian forums and other places of discussions. News papers e-mails
and phones are heavly being contacted, many of whom expressed shock and sympathy over the sad
news that ended the one time heavy weight politician, famous for his name, time and struggle.

In a similar development, Mr. Dibba's family members in Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA) wish to
notify the general public that a prayer session will be held for the Late Mr. S.M. Dibba on Sunday
June 8th 2008 at 5.00pm CT in Minneapolis.

......................Letters from our Readers
............PLEASE EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO IMAM AMADOU KANTEH
Dear editor, please extend my gratitude to Imam Kanteh for his recent comment on the
homosexuality issue. I made similar reference on what ALLAH, condemned the people of prophet lot
for; who were practising this same kind of abomination in (SURAH AS-ASURA): "Do you approach
males among the worlds, and leave what your Lord Has created for you as mates? But you are a
people transgressing." Qur'an Surah As'shu'ra: verse 165-166.

So the Qur'an is absolutely clear on this issue. Some people might have thought that the Qur'an
touches the issue only by references on the Hadith. No! The Holy Book is absolutely clear on its
condemnation for homosexuality.Allah cited the destruction He brought upon the people of Lot, who
were practising this evil and immoral act. The above verse in Surah: As Shu'ra is as clearly as crystal
ball on its condemnation of the act. Again, I thank Imam Kanteh for his comments. May Allah guide
the whole Ummah and prevent and protect us from this creeping vices, that has polluted the west, its
people and its religion. Islam is a honorable Religion and Allah Willing, this abomination shall never be
tolerated to creep into Muslim Lands. May Allah guide us and make those who are lost to atleast have
eyesight and refrain from their evil indulgences.

Jazha Kha Allahu Khairan to all the Ummah. Wa Salam.

Bro.TAMSIR GAYE.
MARYLAND U.S.
..Imam Kanteh Speaks Against
........Homosexual Act
........................................................June 2nd, 2008
I Imam Amadou Kanteh of Raleigh, North Carolina, USA fully supports
the President Yahya Jammeh for condemning homosexuals in the Gambia
because it is a sinful act and a disease that affect the whole society.

In the Name of Allah, the most Gracious, most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon
His Messenger.

Dear brothers and sister of Islam our utmost wish is just for all of us to
adhere to the teachings of this great religion which came to save mankind
from the peril of succumbing to the material life, to rescue them from
darkness of following whims and self inclinations to the light of guidance and eternal prosperity.

"An increasing number of people are becoming homosexuals either gays or lesbians in different parts
of the world. The former refers to the perverted sexual relationship between man and man while the
latter is the title for women practicing sex with women. This is, however, not a new phenomenon; what
is new is the attempt of those people who have been considered all the time as outcasts and perverts,
to assert their identity and force the rest of the people to recognize and accept them and their
relationships as natural ones.

As this is becoming an increasingly dangerous issue, it is indeed important to clarify the attitude of
Islam towards homosexuality.

In both the Qur'an and the Bible, we are told that the first people who started this habit on a national
scale were the people of Lot in the old city of Sodom which used to occupy the area where the Dead
Sea now exists. (See Genesis 19). Let us concentrate on what the Glorious Qur'an says about these
people:

In surat ash-Sh`ara', we read: 'The people of Lot rejected the messengers. Their brother Lot said to
them: 'Will you not fear God? I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust. So fear God and obey me.
No reward do I ask of you for it. My reward is only from the Lord the of worlds. Of all the creatures
of the world will you approach males, and leave those whom God has created for you as mates? Nay.
You are people transgressing all limits.' They said: 'If you desist not O Lot, you will surely be cast
out!'. He said: 'I do detest your doings. O my Lord! Deliver me and my family from such things as
they do.' So we delivered him and his family, all except an old woman who lingered behind. The rest
we destroyed utterly. We rained down on them a shower; and evil was the shower on those who
were admonished.' (Ash-Sh`ara': 160-173)

The Qur'an also says: 'And Lot who said to his people: 'Do you do what is indecent though you see its
iniquity? Would you really approach men in your lusts rather than women? You are a people grossly
ignorant.' His people gave no answer but this: 'Drive out the followers of Lot from our city. They are
indeed men who want to be clean and pure.' But we saved him and his family except his wife: We
destined her to be of those who lagged behind. And we raked down on them a shower: and evil was
the shower on those who were admonished.' (An-Naml: 54-58)

Then in surat Hud, we read: 'When our messengers came to Lot, he was grieved on their account and
felt himself powerless to protect them. He said: 'This is a distressful day.' His people came rushing
towards him and they had been long in the habit of practicing abominations. He said: 'O my people!
Here are my daughters: they are purer for you (if you marry). Now fear God and cover me not with
disgrace about my guests! Is there not among you a single tight-minded man?' They however said:
'You know very well we have no need of your daughters. Indeed you know quite well what we want'.
He said: 'Would that I had power to suppress you or that I could betake myself to some powerful
support'. (The angels) said: 'O Lot! We are messengers from your Lord! By no means shall they reach
you. Now travel with your family while yet a part of the night remains, and let not any of you look
back; but your wife, to her will happen what will befall them. Morning is their appointed time. Is not
the morning near'. When our decree issued we turned the cities upside down, and rained down on
them brimstones hard as baked clay, spread layer on layer, marked from your Lord. Nor are they
ever far from those who do wrong." (Hud 11: 77-83)

Let us see now how the Bible depicts this incident. In Genesis 18, Abraham intercedes for Sodom
and the Lord accepts his intercession. Then God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah as in Genesis 19.
From these texts we notice that both scriptures (the Qur'an and the Bible) mention that Lot, the
Prophet and Messenger of God, advised his people to stop this habit and to return to the natural
relationship with their wives. Instead they threatened to expel him and those who followed his advice.
According to the Qur'an, Prophet Lot neither despaired nor gave up. He continued to warn his people
against this crime of theirs. He faced a lot of hardships. They began to comment sarcastically that he
tried and his followers to be pure. Even his wife was inclined towards them. When these people
turned deaf ears to Prophet Lot's call, both sides were put to the test. Almighty Allah sent down a
group of angels in form of attractive young men. These angels first entered unto Lot as guests.

As soon as his wife saw them, she immediately told her people about them. They rushed to practice
their abominations against the guests. Lot reminded his people once again to refrain from this and not
make a scandal for him and his guests. As a matter of fact, until this point of time Lot took the guests
for ordinary human beings. To his surprise and relief they told him that they were the Messengers of
God and that no harm will be caused to him. He even defended his guests physically; but when every
attempt to stop them completely failed, Allah sent His punishment from Heaven. The city was turned
upside down and brimstone rain was sent against them so that they all perished along with Lot's wife,
their collaborator.

The Glorious Qur'an makes the following comment after this tragedy took place. It says: 'Such a
punishment is not far from the unjust ones.' (Yunus: 83), which means that the same fate will happen
to those who commit this injustice.

We are also told in the Qur'an that Lot's people used to practice this same sex relationship in public.
They saw no harm in looking at each other while doing this. They claimed that it is beyond the
capacity or human beings to be pure or clean in this area.

Part of the Qur'anic perspective of the universe is that Allah Almighty controls everything in this world.
Being the Creator of life and death, He is also the Sovereign and the legislator. He sends messengers
to different peoples from among themselves who are role models as well as conveyers of His message
to them. If they listen and obey, this is for their own good in this world and the next. Whatever Allah
permits is everything that is good, pure and healthy; and whatever He prohibits us to do, it is also for
our own sake. This is how the Ever-Glorious Qur'an looks at this issue of homosexuality. It is against
human nature; it is harmful to man and it betrays one basic goal of sex, namely: procreation within the
limits of marriage only. That is why it is prohibited to practice homosexuality.

It is really sad to remark here that while the Bible condemns homosexuality, it ascribes to Lot, the
Prophet of Allah and His Messenger, that he was given wine by his two daughters and that he
committed incest with each of them in the cave to which they resorted. This, the Bible says, took place
on two consecutive nights! (See Genesis 19). How can this be said about Allah's Prophets and their
daughters? This is not; however, strange for those who are familiar with the present version or rather
versions of the Bible. David, the well-known Prophet and King of Israel, is accused of committing
adultery with the wife of Uriah, a military commander of his. Several other crimes are also attributed to
sons and daughters of Allah's Prophets.

In the Qur'an, however, we find the image of all Prophets of Allah to be the best images of obedient
slaves of the Almighty. In sura Al-Anbiyaa verse 73 and after, we have the following description of
Lot as well as other Prophets: 'And we made them leaders, guiding (men) by our command; We
inspired them to do good deeds, establish regular prayers, and to give alms. They constantly
worshipped Us.'

Not only has this but the Qur'an specifically described Lot as follows:

Two more points deserve our attention. One is that Islam does not consider sex as a sinful 'And to
Lot, too, We gave wisdom and knowledge; We saved him from the town which practiced
abominations. Truly they were a people given to evil, a rebellious people. And We admitted him to
Our mercy; for he was one of the righteous.' (Al-Anbiya':74-75)deed. It does not look down on this
human instinct. On the contrary, it considers it to be rewarding by Allah provided that it is practiced
within the limits of marriage. On this the Prophet of Islam says: 'He who gets married has acquired one
half of his faith, so let him fear Allah in the other half.'

The second point is that the present Bible reports a number of sexual crimes attributed falsely to
Prophets, Messengers of Allah and their children. Not only are this but crimes of incest said to be
committed by Prophets with their own daughters as we mentioned earlier. On the other hand, there
are passages of pornography in the Bible that escaped the attention of religious censors. Take the
Song of Songs by Solomon. You cannot imagine these passages to be part of a Divine scripture. It is
time that the Bible itself be purified from all these falsehoods before purifying the actual lives of the
people."

Imam Amadou Kanteh
North Carolina, USA

.........................................................OPINION
...The Problem with Halifa
.....Sallah's Idea and Book
.........................By The Watchman................May 31st, 2008
Kudos to Solo, Gainako's excellent correspondent from Banjul. His
recap of the legendary Halifah Sallah's book, Treatise on Founding a
Federation of African Republics, is elucidating and inspiring as far as
the ideal of African unity is concerned. There's no denying Mr. Sallah's
place of honor in the political development of The Gambia is solid.
There is a drawback, however, to the main theme of his new tome, an
African federation, because it is posited on archaic ideas that have been
espoused by so-called African leaders who have failed miserably to
deliver on their much vaunted promises.

First, the notion of an African federation ignores the gross under development of African sovereign
entities. Insufficient political sophistication eventually leads to the failure of federations as exemplified
by the demise of the Senegambia confederacy in 1989 and the laughable union of Nigerian states that
has resulted in 1 brutal civil war, many years of military rule to hold the federation of states together
and embarassing economic failure in light of that nation's natural riches.

Second, Mr. Sallah's wishes are in dire contrast to Africa's daunting realities especially where
differences are concerned. There are major religious divides between North African and Eastern
states which are mostly Islamist, West African states which fall in between and southern African states
which are mostly Christian. The increasing hardcore desire of some Muslim clerics in some states to
institute Sharia law, the heightened tensions between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria and other
places and the implications of which laws to follow in states with significant minority populations who
resist any resorting to laws other than secular ones will prove to be nightmarish challenges to the
federation of African states were it to come into existence.

Another crucial stumbling block will be the oft troublesome tribal and internecine feuds that have had a
long running prominence in African history. Failed states like Somalia will never get to have
comprehensive and united representation at an African federation parliament. One can imagine what
the maligned clans and groups will do to their rivals if it is perceived they are not being heard out.
What about Burundi? Will the rebels see the federation of African states as an unbiased arbiter in their
simmering feud with the seat of power in Bujumbura? Better yet, will states with oppressive policies
toward tribal minorities harken to the commands or recommendations of a united African federation
and agree to arbitration? If the UN or the useless AU have not proven successful, who says the
African federation will pull it off?

As iconoclastic as this view might seem, the truth is Mr. Halifah Sallah's role models are failures
through and through when the immediate post-colonial leadership of Africa is objectively examined.
Kwame Nkrumah failed to harness Ghana's mineral and intellectual wealth during his tenure and was
eventually dismissed in 1966. The fault was entirely his. No sentimentality will replace the fact that he
erred in judging the changing times and the urgent need to reform a colonial strucutre that didnt serve
its previous African subjects. Gamal Abdel Nasser took Egypt down the road to war with Israel and
caused great pain and havoc to his proud nation. His only visible legacy is the Aswan dam. What
about Kenneth Kaunda, Siaka Stevens, all paragons of Pan Africanism? Where have they led us? We
need new, better role models for African progress and I'm not talking about Thabo Mbeki or Nelson
Mandela either.

Implicitly or perhaps overtly, Mr. Halifah Sallah's treatise seems to be inspired by the creation of a
European Union that has thrived to the point where ex-Soviet satelites like Bulgaria , the Czech
Republic and Poland are now members, after years of coveting EU acceptance. The comparisons
between African potential for unity versus actual European oneness are ill advised. While the concept
of African unity is a post-colonial ideal, European unity has been in the works since the reign of
Charlemange king of the Franks who ruled from 746 to 814 AD. While Europe has undergone years
of violence political upheaval and economic revolution, Africa's experience in these two spheres is
relatively thin. Moreover, Africa has not yet developed the economic heft nor the military infrastructure
to enforce the rules, prestige and might of an African federation the way the EU has to the point of
being on par with the US (at least economically). To accelerate the progress to total union of African
states in federation form will no doubt yield unwanted consequences.

Finally, with the numerous tragedies, disgraces, and failures of the OAU and now the numerous
tragedies, disgraces and failures of the AU, what makes Mr. Sallah so blindly optimistic? In any case,
I admire and share his love and intensity for the looming greatness of Africa. I am only a little more
cynical and maybe too gun shy where I could have shown more resolve. I hope Mr. Sallah proves me
wrong.

Author can be reached at gambiaswatchman@gmail.com

.....Public Announcement:
..The Watchman Launches a Blog on Less Industrialized Nation Matters
Dear Pa and GON editors:
First I want to thank Freedomnewspaper and Gainako for giving me mostly unfettered and
unrestricted liberty to contribute my humble opinions on the political and economic fate of The
Gambia. Your very generous and highly professional approach to making sure that all voices are heard
and that various solutions are considered and implemented in steering the course of our beloved
republic gives me and all others concerned hope that the journalistic trade in so far as The Gambia is
concerned has indeed evolved and despite its growing pains, will succeed in sowing the everlasting
seeds of democracy and prosperity for all.

From here on out, I will maintain a blog that covers not only Gambian matters but all so called Third
World issues that are of the utmost import. I will still continue to contribute to Freedomnewspaper and
Gainako in light of their excellent permissive policy vis-a-vis allowing a contribution to be published
even if it roils the feelings and shakes the sensitivity of other parties. This is what true freedom of the
press entails and I am ever so grateful for the opportunity to have made my voice heard. My e-mail
will continue to be the same. The new blog address is: http://watchmansreport.wordpress.com/

Thanks to All,
The Watchman

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