By Fakebba Samateh, UK
The Gambia is a great country and has been the beacon of hope for Democracy Human Right for Africa for decades before president Yahya Jammeh came to power in July 1994. All nations knew that Gambia under former President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara was internationally named as the “SMILING COAST OF AFRICA” Now why would the World allow this once beautiful nation, this tourist paradise to become the North Korea of Africa?
Prisons in the Gambia have become home to every human right activist or political opponent of the regime. Even senior government officials who are suspected of sabotaging the regime. The dismissing, detention, jailing and even killing of Gambian from both government department and private institutions have become the order of the day. Yet the international community is either not interested or have ignored the numerous Human Right abuses simply because, they think there is stability in the country. Is there no stability in North Korea?
Why is the international community playing double standard with dining and wining with other brutal dictators while trying to internationally isolate other dictators? For crying out loud, all dictators are dangerous to humanity and shaking their hands is even taboo much more doing business with them. International community helps the Jammeh dictatorship while he butchers our people that I cannot understand.
The Gambia is bleeding under tyranny yet the international community ignores our cries. How would for instance the European Union give 17 point to the Gambia government to help promote the welfare of his own people. Every sane thinking Gambian and even the international community knows those 17 points were meant to help the Gambian people not the EU. But what did the Jammeh government do? They as we all knew went on their lying spree, accusing the EU of trying to decolonize the Gambia saying all sorts of things. The world watched the Gambian regime get away with murder while they still provide them all the necessary aid, Why?
If the international community is interested in the welfare of our people, why not impose the strictest measures to twist the hands of the begging regime so as to help our helpless victims of brutal tyranny? Would the international community want to wait until there is blood bath in Banjul and refugees start pouring across neighboring countries before they would start sending Red Cross and other humanitarian aid and negotiating teams to help calm the situation? The world bodies are failing their responsibilities to poor nations. Sometimes helping to curb poverty there has to be human development and we all know oppressed people cannot develop.