(JollofNews) – Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh has taunted Gambian dissidents and their foreign backers and has vowed to teach them a lesson if they dare stage another attack on his army and regime.
On 30th December, Gambian dissidents armed with night-vision goggles, body armour and semi-automatic rifles bought at shops in the US, hidden beneath clothes and shipped in barrels to the Gambia, attacked the presidential palace in Banjul while Mr Jammeh was away on a private visit to Dubai.
They had earlier planned to ambush the president’s convoy but their hope for military support from 160 locals did not materialise. An “Alpha Team” would mount an assault on the front of the State House in Banjul; “Bravo Team” would secure the rear. A warning shot was fired into the air but a gun battle erupted, and an attempt to ram the front door using a rented vehicle failed and members of Alpha Team were killed.
Addressing Gambian security officers who held a parade in Banjul on Friday to show their solidarity to his regime, Mr Jammeh praised the men and women in uniform for their loyalty and vowed to defend the territorial integrity of the country.
He boasted that although the Gambia is geographically a small country, it has the best Armed Forces in the world.
Mr Jammeh added: “For the members of the Armed Forces, don’t think that we have a small Armed Forces. We have the greatest Armed Forces in the world because we are backed by the Almighty Allah and we are not afraid of any country no matter how many arms you have. I challenged you to touch the Gambia Armed Forces again and I will teach you a lesson.”
Renewing his criticisms of the west, Mr Jammeh said the Gambia will never be colonised and misled twice by the west and will also never sacrifice her values in exchange for aid.
“We Gambians will rule ourselves based on our religion, believe in the Qur’an and the Holy Bible,” he said.
“We are not going to accept what Allah says is haram (forbidden). We are not going to sacrifice the love of Allah for foreign aid. We are not a pagan nation and we will rather eat mud than become homosexuals and offend the Almighty Allah. We will not be colonised and misled twice.”
A former army lieutenant who came to power in a military coup 20 years ago, Mr Jammeh who is dubbed ‘The Barking Dog’ by his critics for his rants, has been governing the Gambia with an iron fist.
He loves drawing international condemnation by lashing out at gays and lesbians and subjecting political opponents to torture and forcing them to confess to sedition on television. His regime is accused of committing serious rights abuses including arbitrary arrest and enforced disappearance.
