(JollofNews) – I am not claiming that he is an acquaintance, or a friend, but we shared a mutual friend, and that has brought me and the then young sergeant into contact with each other a few times.
In each of those few times, our conversations have always been political – my passion. His rhetoric has always been empathetic to the common man. He always manifested a strong love and loyalty to his country, The Gambia. He believed that the country was so small and that there should have been enough to go around for everybody.
He calls the Jawara administration…Jawara and his gang, and that they needed to go so the country can be restored to the people. He said Gambians should be leaving in paradise if Jawara and his gang were not a bunch thieves. He dreamt of fixing the problem some day and give people the peace and prosperity they deserve – that, he said is the promise of The Gambia flag.
On July 22nd 1994, he, a full lieutenant, and four 2nd lieutenants peacefully overthrew the Jawara regime in a bloodless coup. I remember where I was, saddened at the news of a military coup. I am no fan of military governments, and never will be. At this time, I didn’t even know who the perpetrators were. Upon hearing the names of the coup plotters, I was filled with disappointment. The peaceful man I knew chose the gun to effect the change he yearned for, but I was comforted by the fact that not a single shot was fired – guess he was still the man of peace.
President Jammeh from when he was the chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council has claimed to be a patriot; he even named his party “Alliance for Patriotic, Reorientation and Construction”. Patriots advocate for peace, they are vigorous supporters of their country and they know when they need to defend it against enemies or detractors, and when to give up what they hold dear for her peace and tranquility.
Jammeh giving up his present point of contention does not make him an indecisive man or a coward; instead, it reinforces his patriotism, his love for his country. “Such are the sacrifices men have cheerfully made for the existence, the honor, the prosperity of their country. But perhaps the power of patriotism is shown in what it makes them give up, than what it makes them do.”
I strongly believe that President Jammeh, the patriot, will ultimately choose peace, because he loves peace, and he would not want to see the country he loves, the country he worked so hard to improve, be nothing short of the Smiling Coast of Africa.
Congratulations!! To President-elect Adama Barrow, and good luck on your inauguration on January 19, 2017. May Allah bless us all with peace, good health and prosperity, and may Allah bless the Republic of The Gambia.
I think in the face of his homicidal tendencies, the extra judicial killing s, the mass imprisonments without recourse to trials he is anything but a Man of peace. Sorry your article totally avoids the reality and gravity of this oppressive regime.
Marcella I can understand the frustration and anger that most are filled with. I am not dismissing the allegations and alleged crimes of his administration. My article is simply meant to paint a picture of who he was before he rose to power, and hopefully can return to that person in this trying times of our beloved country.
Hope you heard the shifting news of today.
Thanks for your comment.
This article is highly misleading and even a grade 1 pupil in Gambia knows that Jameh is a murderer. just last year an opposition leader died in detention and so are many unresolved deaths of journalists and imprisonments. this doesn’t sound like a man of peace but a criminal who will pay for his dads.
Mr Demba Sir, this change in position has also been accompanied by a statement stating that there will no barrow inauguration next week.so the shift in position is a scheme to prolong hz stay in power and look for schemes to use to manipulate the people’s will. this idiot is isolated and even hz puppet judges have refused to be part of hz sham election challenge. only hz Chief Justice has reported.
Mr Demba is entitled to his comments,but it appears he is cajoling former president Jammeh to leave power.Mr Jammeh should know that he has been voted out of power by the people to whom power belongs to,through an election which he himself claimed to be rig-proof and the best in the whole world,let him get it in his head that whether ECOWAS comes or not,he has been voted out and out he MUST go.He therefore cannot stop President-elect’s Adama Barrow’s inaugration from taking place,as he never wanted to leave no.1 Marina Parade willingly.
A kind of “armalite and ballot box “peace ?
To try and characterise this beaten tyrant as peaceful is delusional and is just trying to give his end some dignity which it does not deserve. If he could have he would have kept clinging to power with a brutal hand if not for the sanity and brilliant use of overwhelming force that Senegal implemented – where nobody dies.
America can learn some lessons from Senegal’s handling of this local villain and irrational thorn in their side: they waited until the deadline for his rule to end before attacking another sovereign nation, they got UN support to help the transition, they assisted the inauguration of the democratically elected president, they were welcomed by Gambians and having taken up strategic positions around Gambia they have given Jammeh another opportunity to vacate.
So congratulations to President Barrow, the Gambian army that did not come to Jammeh’s rescue and congratulations to Senegal too who have acted so far in a manner that Africans can be proud of; showing that we are sick of these Idi Amin style dictators in this continent.