By Gainako’s Embedded Reporter
Gainako’s military embedded reporter embarked on an inside assessment of the general feelings of the Gambian military personnel and their loyalty towards President Jammeh. Our reporter who is based in one of the military barracks took secret assessment of how the military feels and how they will potentially react if security matters were to arise in the country. The need for this assessment become necessary when private conversations with some military and security personnel in the country increasingly sound frustrated and betrayed by President Jammeh and his security circles. Many of the military officers junior and senior were willing to speak on their constant worries on who will fall victim next to President Jammeh’s plots to divide and conquer them.In speaking to Senior and Junior Officers in the Gambia Armed Forces across the Barracks in the length and breadth of the country many privately vowed not to sacrifice their precious lives to the Gambian President Yahya Jammeh anymore. one senior officer was quoted saying “We Would Not Sacrifice Our Lives for Jammeh anymore when he continue to betray us”
Gainako in an effort to authenticate and assess how wide spread the views of the men in uniform are confirmed that the spate of arrests and detention meted out to the Soldiers, NIA, Police, Senior Government Officials in all sectors is prompting everyone to look over their shoulders. Some opined that this needs to end as all the senior officers who were close to the President have been ceremoniously removed, detained and some send on exile all on flimsy excuses of false military coups.
“The Gambia is a very peaceful Nation and this is no reason why people would be arrested; detained, sacked or go missing without any trace and yet the people remain calmed and go about their business as if nothing happens” said a senior Military Officer.
He said it is time for Gambians to come together irrespective of their party loyalty, tribe or race to end dictatorship adding that President Jammeh is very worried and if there is any chaos, he would flee or risk being captured because he suspects that the Military and sister forces are tired of the continuous assault on them without regard to their service to nation.
In a casual conversation with some junior officers using coded language, they joke that dictators (aka they call it top) only impose rules on people and if there is no reaction to that, they use the so called law to bring them down. They cited examples of Jammeh loyalists’ recently arrested such as Lang Tombong Tamba, Njogou Bah, Lamin Jobarteh, Pa Harry Jammeh and other loyalists. “This alone is a reason why no one should endeavor to die for Jammeh as he is only interested in his own welfare and that of his immediate family,” he noted.
Another group of young soldiers in a brief secret conversation with this reporter also noted that after critically studying the way things are unfolding in Banjul, the only way to salvage Gambians is to stand against the injustices taken place in the country since no one is safe from being arrested and detained for good.
Many of the soldiers are worried that Jammeh’s days are numbered and if he continues to lose control of the governing situation then history would repeat itself and the President will be disappointed soon by the very officers he entrusted with his security because every one close to the State House and in the barracks are complaining that the President would use you make you enemies to the others, and the next day he fires you, arrest and end up detaining you in the notorious NIA or Mile Two Prisons. Many innocent soldiers are still languishing in Jail without any credible security threat. The hidden fact remains that the situation is tense in the country and every Gambian regardless of how loyal you are to the President faces constant threat. The uncertainty has reached a boiling point opined one concerned officer.