Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema has said he will not agree to any extradition order for former Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh, who has been living in exile in the central African country after being forced to quit power last year.
Jammeh, who seized control of The Gambia in a 1994 military coup, lost a democratic election and refused to step aside until threatened with military intervention.
The Gambian strongman is accused by the current government and rights groups of ordering the torture and murder of political opponents during his brutal 22-year rule, while pocketing $50 million (40 million euros) from the state coffers.
“I believe that the stance of protecting former heads of state is a correct one,” Mr Obiang is quoted saying late Friday by AFP after meeting with African Union leader Alpha Conde, who is also Guinea’s president.
“I hail Alpha Conde who told me he will not accept any demand for Yahya Jammeh’s extradition. Even I will not accept it.
“We are in full agreement that Yahya Jammeh must be protected. He must be respected as a former African leader. Because this is a guarantee for other African leaders that they will not be harassed after they leave power,” said Obiang, who has ruled his own country with an iron fist since 1979.
The comments caused anger in Banjul, where Gambian victims are slowly building a case against the former president that analysts believe has the quiet backing of the new government.
Amadou Scattred Janneh, a former information minister imprisoned by the ex-leader’s regime turned leading member of the “Jammeh to Justice” campaign, said the case “will not depend solely on Obiang.”
“We have a duty to intensify the pressure on President Obiang of Equatorial Guinea to ensure that Jammeh and his accomplices are ultimately brought to trial,” he told AFP.
However, he added, “It is not up to dictators to determine whether or not their colleagues should face justice.”
A very wise and applaudable decision.
A very sad and cowardly decision. Obiang knows what await himself when his people are ready to take back the power that belongs to them. He knows that he will probably be hosted by another African dictator. Yahya Jammeh can run all he wants, can be protected by thousand dictators but he will never live happily again. He will be haunted forever by the pain and misery of our people. He is a defeated man, a yesterday man, a man on the run. The millions he stole from our people will not be able to buy him happiness. He will not retire into a blissful life, because too many lives he destroyed. Too many families forever scarred, too many grief stricken at the loss of a very loved one. Citizens forcefully disappeared, young men brutally killed, their bodies dumped in wells. Who can fathom this idea that these crimes were committed by a government? Any Gambian who rejoiced at this decision is not in the right side of history. Borrowing a phrase from a movie, where the narrator put down these wise words. It read………. Justice is like a soothing balm that can be applied to cleanse the wounds inflicted on society, to heal those wounds, but if there is no justice, those wounds would never be cleansed, those wounds would never be healed”. I wonder what happened to the sense of justice for this decision to be applauded by any sane person?Run Yahya Run, but You can’t hide. The wrath of Almighty god will follow you till the day you die.
Isolated, abandoned and depressed, EG is now like prison for Jammeh. He is redundant and irrelevant, nobody cares if he is dead or alive. He wished he was back home, but he is not welcomed. He will soon start begging to come home, he does not wish to die a slow and miserable death. This is his faith now. A pathetic figure in a foreign land. Sick, Sad and Dying. He is in good company with Obiang. What a life.
Buba Good morning as you mentioned that decision made by obiang is Wise and applaudable, Look! are Sure you are gambian? Very sad indeed if you are not in for yaya jammeh to face Justice do make any follow up about the misrule of yaya and his cronics for the past 22 Yrs. Yaya killed our Mothers, Fathers,Bros.,and sis embezzle our Economy, there is no Bad things one can Imagine what this head Bleeding crèature has not done to the gambian and Now you welcoming that yaya shouldn’t face any Justice. Am sorry but even if you have the Identity from of Albadarr in nuimi i will Never rely on that evidence that you are a gambian,because your heart is not gambian,during and still difficult we have been crying together because of yayas Evil deeds and Good Sons and daughters of the gambia will Stick together that, there is no peace of Place for yaya on this earth.yaya will suffer more than idi amin. Very sad you Mr Soli Calling yourself a gambian
I understood it and I respect him by remembering when everyone wants him to go as it is, some of us thinking how to save our country but another thinking only about the power, we have signed everything and today some want to throw everything out the window? you have to know how to respect the signed and another thing to bring Jammeh can cost us more than what you think better forgot about him and focus on the building the country
You right peace, but one thing is,our gov’t can recover the solen money’s but our people who lost their lives and leaving their families alone especially kids without fathers and mothers women without men,men whose manhood has been destroyed for the rest of their lives,just put yourself in this position I know your idea of forgetting and look forward nation building is a very good idea, no good born of the Gambia wants to see Gambia under fire but who the hell is yaya to destabilise Gambia he is thinking about his health than anything else let him rot in rats hole with obiang. He has to come and face justice and in the Gambia nothing will come out of it,Allah is in control .please dont raise your voice with this issues
The Evil kanilai Killer Devil can run away temporally but can’t hide anywhere in any corner of the earth outside the reaches of the long arms of justice….
The two Guinean presidents’ meeting & the pronouncement of their so-called stance here-in aren’t coincidental at all, l as being pretentious portrayed…
The current progresses so far in desensitisation by the government for redressing & justice required for the deserving victims (both for county & individuals) are catching up with our Murderous yaya Devil somewhere afar…
Parts of our stolen resources are being hoarded in the two Guineas (Conakry & Equatorial); President Condè personally had to sacrifice; to physically come into Gambia to literally shell the kanilai Dracula coward from any capture enroute when running away with its tail between shaky legs….
Their recent pronouncement is expected; given their individual personal stances for various reasons; that have (got) no bearing/relevance whatsoever on the (our) collective will; nor can it stop/counter the effectiveness of the actions of Gambians as the direct victims & humanity (as other victims) (& Regional & International Community) together….
There’re no forces ever, or ‘powers be’ that can shell the kanilai killer permanently from the deserved & much required judicious prosecution of the Murderous Devil & accomplice cohorts; which is relevantly necessary for the communal healing of the scars from the calculated wounds deliberately inflicted upon us (Gambia & humanity) wantonly…
The evidence for the extradition are being collected currently from the Janneh Commission & the Truth & Reconciliation to be commissioned shortly; the process is effectively exerting surmounted pressures behind closed doors somewhere which is warranting such pronouncements to; but collectively we’ll surely go after the evil deadly killer wheresoever necessary…
Realistic required justice, in the redress (that is) deserved for the wronged victims, is the only way to real (genuine) reconciliation; & the collective (general) move-on of the community in unison…
Yaya devil Jammeh will surely pay here on earth; as already started from day on (after) the fateful election results up till extradition; &/ ((also) in the hereafter….
God bless Gambia….
Baba,
Do I have to succumb to your thoughts and expectations. I’m free to think, opine and live within the realms of my own thinking.
I am more Gambian than you. OK?
The heartless nature of your applause of the decision not to extradite that evil creature can make anyone to think that you are non Gambian. A true born Gambian with a sense of justice and honesty can never applause such decision.
Mr soli are you not satisfied with the evidences on commission of inquiry and the people been affected by jammehs atrocities? It’s indeed very sad
Amadou Janneh should start with himself. He should surrender himself to justice before arranging for the extradition of his Master Murderer. All the innocent that have been dripping in Jammeh’s hands settled in the hands of Amadou and other ‘I was scared to say no’ cowards.
Natty Dread,
On the 1st December 2017, I can rightly recall promising one brother Buba Sanyang, that I will tacitly drop my foul pen(language) against Natty Dread. I presume I have cautiously, indeed tacitly kept that promise and will continue to keep that promise as a true Manswanko son from The Gambia.
Nevertheless, that would not halt me from freely expressing my opinions. Whatever your thoughts are about by opinions, I have very little to say about that, but I believe it’s about time you shape the tone of your language on me. You may as you wish, continue to use foul/infuriating language on me. I’m not bothered anyway. That’s all!
Be a firm believer to your convictions and leave me to believe, and of course express what I deem fit within my rights. That’s the real DEMOCRATIC dispensation.
Your hatred for President Jammeh is my love for him. I’m not asking you to love him neither should you ask me to hate him. All he did are “evil” to you and all he did are progressive to me. Any “evil” he did should be fairly judged. That judgement doesn’t lie in your hands!
Even the killings of your Fellow gambian Women and men are Progressive to you isn’t what you mean mr soli?to my opinion,that’s crazy
Baba,
I can’t be satisfied with the “evidences spewed at the INEPT commission of inquiry that is composed of unqualified and corrupt members. What clean standing does Janneh and his group hold to become members of that commission? The commission was single-handedly constituted by Adama Barrow and I have my doubts about the legality of such appointments without parliamentary approval. Aside from that, were the members screened and absolved of any fraudulence in their social and professional lives before appointment?
Which salary base is applied for their remuneration? Why are they receiving such fat emoluments? These and many pertinent questions still loom to question the reliability and validity of this “commission of inquiry”.
We need many more commissions of inquiry to probe into the 1981 Senegalese invasion of the Gambia; the killing of Haruna Jatta, the wanton UDP attack on APRC militants at Mankamang Kunda and Busumbala, the formation of the Barrow Youth Movement, the newly-formed Barrow Foundation, the Mrs Barrow-First Lady Office……..
Whatever the credibility of commissioners or the manner of their appointments, the documents (evidence) brought before them are genuine and authentic official documents from the Jammeh era, and the witnesses, most of whom are either signatories to these documents or heads of institutions that dealt with instructions contained, are questioned on the evidence on those documents.
What exactly do you mean when you say that the “evidences (are) spewed at the INEPT commission.”?
Babu soli
I have only contempt for those who rejoiced at the demise of our fellow citizens and using lies and twisting analogues to spread hate, to destroy the good names of our outstanding citizens in defending the most corrupt, most devilish, most brutal and most dishonest human being in the history of our nation. You live by the fire and you die by the fire. The tone of my language ain’t changing as long as Babu Soli, the lying son of the Manswanko clan continue with his insults against decent Gambians. You are a liar Babu and i don’t understand how that sits with your self deluded devoutness. Thou shall not lie!
“evidences are spewed at the INEPT commission”? This means; to be exhausted, disoriented and frustrated in one’s lying skills in keeping debates alive.
Yayah cannot kill innocent people and bury them around the country in unmarked graves and be left to idle in Equatorial Guinea. The ghosts of Yayah Jammeh’s victims will not leave Obiang and Alpha Konde in peace. They too will be haunted if they try protecting a coldblooded killer president like Jammeh.
Natty Dread,
Well you may spread your insults to any level. It’s up to you. One thing I would like to make clear is my firm stance. Who are the outstanding citizens you have referred to? Are you talking about your circle of DISHONEST, CORRUPT, TRIBALIST, INCOMPETENT, SELFISH bunch of wasteful people in the administration? Or who else are you talking about? Have some amount of decency to refrain from calling VERY BAD elements our “outstanding”…….
Babu Soli
What firm stance? Stance based on lies and vilification of the innocent families of Jammeh’s crimes. You ain’t serious Babu. The outstanding citizens i referred to are not Babu Soli, Yahya Jammeh or any of the cowards hiding with him in Equatorial Guinea, nor any of the APRC cronies who had their hands dripping with innocent Gambian blood.What an irony Babu, an indecent minded professor preaching decency, just like Yahya Jammeh preaching against cold blooded murder or idol worshiping. Celebrate our new found freedom for enriching your vocabulary with new words like corrupt, dishonest, tribalist, incompetent, inept and selfish. Once a clown always a clown.
Baba,
Which Gambian men/women did you witness being killed?
Babu Soli
What 800 Gambians did you witnessed being killed in 1981 by Senegalese soldiers? Old age is catching up with you Babu. Stop entangling yourself in the web of lies.
Mr soli am very sorry,but I argue with only sound minded people who has human feelings and accept when they are wrong,you can still stick yaya jammeh for the rest ofyour life i personally don’t have problem with it, but be fair to yourself otherwise you will never be fair to others,life can be short but at the same time can a bit long so be very care, no one will hurt but Allah is
In control of everything, your comments hurts people whenever you writes accept that yaya is forever gone and apologise to all Gambians especially people who lost their family for nothing .that’s all I have for you.thanks
Baba,
“If you argue with sound minded people”….. And believe I’m not, well, that’s fine. Don’t waste your time taking on my postings.
Remember that my feelings are seriously hurt when illogic people don’t consider the killing of our people by the Senegalese forces in 1981, simply because they believe whatever Jawara did was right. That was an episode that still hurts hundreds of Gambians. What is your feeling about that?
Bax, Jollofnews 29th January 2018
PROLOGUE
As I promised, I will start responding to your list of itemized activities about the 30 years of the Jawara regime in different phases. In seriously going through your chronology of these items, one can only decipher one thing: PLANNING, PLANNING and NO PRODUCTIVITY IN 30 (good/bad) YEARS!
I don’t have to refute the Jawara government’s capacity in planning without production, because I have listened to almost all his parliament opening speeches when he would lay the blue prints of his government’s plans and programmes of the fiscal year. I have also listened to almost all the Finance Ministers’ speeches; from Sherrif Sisay, Sherrif Dibba, BB Darbo…. All their remarks were based on “government intentions” with figures that never came off ground.
To be continued……………..
Good morning Mr soli as I said before, the 1981 coup then I was a kid at the age of 6 so am not in the position to tell you how the 81 coup was,it was through your explanation I came to know how kokoi and some Gambians bad elements who were with evil intentions kill our people just for nothing ,I found it very terrible and sad that such an evil and dasterous thing happened in the Gambia from kokoi
I could have been less than 5 years but that’s still no reason why I shouldn’t be reliably informed about incidents that took place in the country especially when they are as horrendous as Kukoi’s authored July ’81 bloodbath. Those who were grown ups and were not just observers but took arms to murder innocent people in the Gambia can still give their own accounts of their roles in the terrorist events by putting the blames on Jawara and Senegalese forces though. Those kinds may even justify the innocent police officers’ killings, the first victims, to be slain by Kukoi in his act of vandalism of robbing weapons from the police headquarter’s armoury. Basically, I said I was young implying that my age at that point in time cannot change the facts around the criminal acts of Kukoi and his criminal gangs.