By Ebrima Cambi
A simple security analysis coupled with a bit of impeccable intelligence from the period of the political impasse to the day of the protest, shows that the protest was not intent on getting rid of the soldiers as the primary motive but a catalyst to an attempt in solving a looming SELF INFLICTED humanitarian crisis in Kanilai and environs, HUNGER, which if not handled quickly could lead to serious starvation in the area.
Synopsis: Kanilai and environs were use to;
1. Free ELECTRICITY
2. Free PIPE BORNE WATER
3. Free FOOD (Rice, oil and other condiments) particularly in the month of Ramadan
4. Freelance employment at the various farms and facilities of the former tyrant of a president.
5. Intelligence gathered confirmed that clearing the bush from Kafenda – Mayork towards kanilai with primary intention of building an airport – Kanilai Airport Park (KAP) was naturally a major source of income to the residents of Foni kanilai in particular, at a rate of D1000.00 per day, per person ( every 10 days worked on the site = D10,000.00), therefore most of them totally abandoned farming for this lucrative venture.
They also resorted to using the tractors given to them by the tribalist, vengeful, sectarian, vindictive, despotic but very intelligent sadistic tyrant for their charcoal and firewood businesses, another source of income. These are tractors provided by the Government of Japan to THE PEOPLE OF THE GAMBIA!!,
All this came to an abrupt stop, its RAMADAN and rainy season is also crouching in; unfortunately for them they were betrayed by the same person they call their own, when he drove the international community into forcing him out because of his intransigence towards the verdict of the people. How did he betray his loyalists in Kanilai and Foni, i said loyalists because i can bet my bottom dollar that majority of the Foninkas have now come to terms with reality and do not subscribe to the violent protests by the residents of Kanilai. When AJJ finally succumbed to the pressures both internally and externally, he sadly left his LOYALISTS badly unprepared for a Gambia without Jammeh and his sectarian benevolence. They had no seeds for farming, no food stored, and had never thought that a day would come when they could not access the properties and assets amassed by AJJ during his 22 years Reign of Terror.
Another arguable reason for the unreasonable cause of the protest is HUNGER ; a disaster waiting to happen in Kaninlai. He also betrayed our Foninka brethren by arresting and parading their elderly (men and women) accusing them for being witches and wizards, forcing some of them to flee to evade the so-called witch doctors.
He also betrayed Foninkas by unnecessary arrests, torture, disappearances (marked as dead) jailing and illegally firing the same people who called him their own. Yaya Jammeh also betrayed these people by not being truthful to them, leaving them with the false hope of a movie star ” I will be Back” yet still a small fraction of the Foninkas pledge loyalty to a man who has meted all these on them, their parents, uncles brothers and sisters.
The Crunch: From what I would call ulterior motive of the protesters; intelligence gathered revealed an alleged plot during the impasse when AJJ accepted the results and a few days later made a U-turn purportedly after receiving assurance from the rebel group that they are prepared to back him to the later. Fantasizing the destructive capabilities of a rebel joining hands with the merciless members of his jungler unit, loyalists in the Army and PIU and the mercenaries imported from afar, Yaya Jammeh decided on the path of war, not knowing what war is all about and can bring about in a nation.
The Mystery: WHAT happened to an alleged truck load of weapons from Statehouse headed for kanilai during the political impasse??????
Observation: Where are all those able bodied men who use to flood the street leading to Yaya Jammeh’s palace Kanilai?
Opinion: Could it be that the truck load of weapons was delivered to the rebels in Sinjang/Jibijorr forests with the assurance of support to the despotic leader? If so which soldier/driver delivered the goods? Could it also be that these weapons have been distributed among the rebels and those able bodied men from Kanilai (bread winners) with the intention of joining hands with the notorious Junglers and the numerous Jammeh loyalists in the Army’s rank and files to fight for the dictator? if so could it be that these men (family bread winners) got stranded in the forest with the arrival of the Ecowas forces and could not return to their families for fear of being recognized and arrested?
Food for thought: Could this be the real reason for wanting the soldiers out of kanilai and environs to enable these men return to their families once again as bread winners and avert the hunger and suffering their families are experiencing? Otherwise I cant see any sense in wanting soldiers out who are a source of protection to them and their families and given that the number of soldiers and other servicemen and women in Kanilai were over 5 times the population of the village and there still was harmony.
Recommendation: Government must not allow Kanilai or any part of the country to hold the nation to ransom by this kind of behaviour. A thorough investigation into the incident should be carried out in order to eliminate any speculations and misgivings. Government must not set a bad precedence by letting these people go free in their quest for peace or to appease a fraction of Foninkas. In the same vein Kanilai is part of the Gambia and despite the senseless protest, H E Adama Barrow is their president whether they like it or not, therefore i would like to appeal to the Government look into the food situation in the village and assist where possible to avert a humanitarian crisis especially in this Holy month of Ramadan. This could be channeled through any charitable organisation or even the Gambia Red Cross Society. The president is everybody’s president even the criminals.