Opinion, Social

Torchlight With Michael Scales: Congratulating Gambia’s New President

Michael Scales

(JollofNews) – Firstly, may I congratulate President Adama Barrow on becoming the new elected president of the Gambia. The fate of Mr Jammeh is yet to be decided.

Many people have tried to second-guess Mr Jammeh for too many years, but he generally proves everyone wrong and does something that so many people never anticipated.

As the Ecowas forces gather in large numbers by air, sea and land, we have very little knowledge from Mr Jammeh as to what he will do at this late hour. All we know is he is in the State House in Banjul. His loyal Chief of Defense Staff, General Ousman Bargie appeared relaxed yesterday, posing for photos with tourists, allegedly claiming that he loves his soldiers and they won’t fight no stupid war with fellow Ecowas forces, this is a political matter.

One strategy could be to allow Ecowas forces into the Gambia up to the gates of the State House where Gambian troops could form a cordon around  President Jammeh with orders not to fire unless fired upon first.

The president of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, could be carrying a message to President Macky Sall of Senegal, stating that Mr Jammeh intends to stay put until his petition is heard by a properly convened panel of Supreme Court judges.

Meanwhile, President Barrow could take over the reins of government and several situations could arise from this not least that the governments of foreign nationals, would not allow their tourists to return until this legal dispute is settled due to the heavy military presence.

Senegalese troops heading into Gambia

Trade would be affected to some degree and key government staff could be absent. The transition would be anything but smooth as so many of Mr Jammeh’s ministers are not in office. This would to some degree paralyse the day-to-day business of citizens and stall key services such as tax collection.

This is my summary based upon the knowledge of today and observing former President Jammeh for so many years. This would also place Ecowas forces in an unenviable dilemma, which could only be broken if ordered to shoot by Ecowas governments. I cannot see that happening.

Mr Jammeh is a very single minded man and generally is at least two steps ahead of the rest. But I thought I would pen my thoughts. Of course this is Africa. It usually works out differently.

7 Comments

  1. First*

  2. You could bury Jammeh, but still have to check the grave every hour.,,,,,,,?

  3. I am immensley proud of The Gambian online media this morning. From small resources in small bedrooms did they save so many lives.

    A job well done !!!

  4. Pls look guineenews.org

    Jammeh got TOTAL amnesty
    from un, au, and ecowas
    Gambia Govt had to accept and
    jammeh is welcome in his? gambia whenever he wants, he will even be allowed to candidate for presidency next election.

    he stays some time in Guinee Equatorial …

    Download peaceau.org/uploads/ecowas-au …

  5. But of course; The tangled webs men weave when bent on only to decieve,

    Lets wait and see what Adama Barrow is made of ? After all he is an African too. There is more than one way to skin a cat.””””

  6. The petition to The Supreme Court was only a smoke screen, Jammeh lead all down a blind alley while securing “everything” he needed. I am not worried. Adama Barrow has Mai Fatty and Halifa Sallah. Lets leave the legal brains to throw a net over Jammeh’s further ambitions. Meanwhile I am told Kanilai is still heavily guarded. The urgent task to remove all risks to democracy, this will be high on there agenda. Get ruthless Gentlemen.

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