Coalition for Change – The Gambia Distances itself from Gambia Gov’ts Position on Cote D’Ivoire

The Coalition for Change – The Gambia (CCG) wishes to dissociate itself from the statements and position of the Gambia Government on events in Cote d’Ivoire.

The most recent inconsequential state televised statement of President Jammeh calling for fresh elections and refusing to recognize President Alassane Ouattara in defiance of the international community, despite findings by virtually all independent observers and monitors that Laurent Gbagbo lost the November election, underscores the pariah character of the Gambian regime.

The amateurish manner in which the statement touched on an array of issues – Lumumba, Sankara, Compaore, imperialism, etc. – is a shame to many Gambians.

The world may not be aware, but the Gambian people know that anytime President Jammeh senses the hotspot, he starts throwing mud hoping it will stick. From his pronouncements relating to AIDS, homosexuals, human rights defenders, the Iran arms scandal, the Libya crisis and Gaddafi, the Holy Qur’an burning, to the Cote d’Ivoire, Jammeh has always had something to hide or deflect.

The most recent rant also raises serious concerns on President Jammeh’s reaction if he were to lose the November 2011 presidential elections. Will he, like Gbagbo defy all logic and reason, despite all evidence to the contrary and cling on to power by any means necessary?
President Jammeh’s latest remarks further strengthen the resolve of the CCG and progressive Gambians to ensure that 17 years of repressive rule must come to an end now.

The CCG is therefore calling on Gambians, the people of Cote d’Ivoire, West African Citizens, and the international community to disregard the Jammeh administration’s rants on Cote d’Ivoire. The statement does not in any way reflect the position of the Gambian people vis-à-vis developments in that country. The people of The Gambia support the position of ECOWAS, the International Community and recognize the democratically elected government of President Alasanne Ouattara.

The CCG takes this opportunity to congratulate Presidentt Ouattara, the Government and people of Cote D’Ivoire.

The group also renews its call to all freedom and peace-loving organizations and individuals to support us in the campaign to end despotism and dictatorship in The Gambia.
S
IGNED:
CCG EXECUTIVE
April 18, 2011

CONTACTS:
NDey Tapha Sosseh, Secretary-General / Spokesperson SGCoalitonForChangeGambia@gmail.com

CoalitonForChangeGambia@gmail.com, TheGambiaVoice@gmail.com, ccgtg411@gmail.com

TWITTER: @ChangeGambia, @KomboMansa, @TheGambiaVoice
Facebook group: Coalition for Change – The Gambia



[i] Coalition for Change Gambia has as its members, journalists, lawyers, doctors, businessmen/women and civil society groups in and outside The Gambia concerned about the deteriorating state of affairs in The Gambia. Further information and details, including requests for membership can be accessed and processed through the Secretary General.
[ii] Interested media organisations should contact the Secretary General for more information. Audio material is also available and can be accessed upon request.

Coalition for Change – The Gambia Reacts to President Jammeh’s Statement on the Ivory Coast

The Coalition for Change – The Gambia (CCG) wishes to dissociate itself from the ill-advised statement by the Jammeh administration on events in the Ivory Coast.

Inconsequential as it is, Yahya Jammeh’s refusal to recognize President Alassane Ouatara in defiance of the international community underscores the pariah character of the Gambian regime. Despite findings by virtually all independent observers and monitors that Laurent Gbagbo lost the election, Mr. Jammeh absurdly insists on recognizing him as President and calls for fresh elections.

Making matters worse, Jammeh’s statement touched on an array of issues – Lumumba, Sankara, Compaore, imperialism, etc. – in such amateurish manner as to shame many Gambians.

The world may not be aware, but the Gambian people know that anytime Yahya Jammeh senses the hotspot, he starts throwing mud hoping it will stick. From his pronouncements relating to AIDS, homosexuals, Gaddafi, Holy Qur’an burning, to the Ivory Coast, Jammeh has always had something to hide or deflect. The issue for Gambians is that 17 years of repressive rule must come to an end now.

CCG is therefore calling on Gambians, Ivorians, and the international community to disregard the Jammeh administration’s rants on the Ivory Coast. The statement does not in any way reflect the position of the Gambian people vis-à-vis developments in that country.

By the same token, the group is calling on all freedom and peace-loving organizations and individuals to support it in the campaign to end despotism in The Gambia.

SIGNED:
CCG EXECUTIVE
April 18, 2011

CONTACTS:
NDey Tapha Sosseh, Secretary-General / Spokesperson SGCoalitonForChangeGambia@gmail.com

CoalitonForChangeGambia@gmail.com, TheGambiaVoice@gmail.com, ccgtg411@gmail.com

TWITTER: @ChangeGambia, @KomboMansa, @TheGambiaVoice
Facebook group: Coalition for Change – The Gambia


________________________________________
[i] Coalition for Change Gambia has as its members, journalists, lawyers, doctors, businessmen/women and civil society groups in and outside The Gambia concerned about the deteriorating state of affairs in The Gambia. Further information and details, including requests for membership can be accessed and processed through the Secretary General.
[ii] Interested media organisations should contact the Secretary General for more information. Audio material is also available and can be accessed upon request.

The Gambia: Dictator Jammeh Must Go!

As the winds of change blow across the world, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, Dictator Yahya Jammeh acts as if he can maintain his grip on power through fear, intimidation, and manipulation.

While the international media broadcast images of people standing up to their good-for-nothing tyrants, Jammeh sought to instill greater fear in the minds of Gambians. The national television showed him recently parading the Greater Banjul Area with a large contingent of security forces armed with rifles and anti-aircraft guns. He visited his numerous properties across town while tossing biscuits to bystanders along the highway. Occasionally, he would get citizens to line up and give out the equivalent of US$45 to each one of them.

When online activists and a new group working underground intensified their efforts, the dictator called a meeting with independent journalists to try to repackage himself. It came too late, as questions about Deyda Hydara's death and the disappearance of Chief Manneh, both journalists, continued to dog the repressive regime. Rather than improve the President's image, the event further illustrated his government's disregard for basic human rights.

Attempting to divert attention from his wrongs is nothing new to Jammeh. As the economy bottomed about five years ago, he suddenly started talking about his cure of AIDS. That deflected a lot of international and domestic focus from the country's economic woes and suffering. Another time, he shifted to debate about homosexuals and how he planned to cut their heads off in The Gambia. And with his mentor, Gaddafi, under attack he delivered a strong message calling for the Libyan leader to step down. It wasn't received well, as Jammeh is known to have sent agents from the notorious NIA to Libya and set up a movement modeled after Gaddafi's. The ruling party even adopted green as its colour. In essence, Gaddafi and Jammeh were birds of the same feather. Ultimately, the reaction was: great message, worst messenger.

As if that wasn't enough, the fake professor joined the chorus of voices against the idiotic Pastor Jones for his burning of the Holy Qur'an. It came several weeks after the incident was first reported, but conveniently at a time when his pal, Laurent Gbagbo, of Ivory Coast was on the verge of being pulled out of his bunker. The rationale: get Gambians and the international community, particularly the Muslim world, to talk about my stance on Qu'ran burning to deflect calls by“troublemakers” who say it's his turn to step down.

Just last night (April 13), Gambian state TV sent an unmistakeable message to those planning to protest by showing a security crackdown against anti-government activists by Venezuelan security forces. Gambians are now very familiar with the dictator's ways. If it's not a staged event, or dabbling into some issue of little relevance to the Gambian people, then we expect a concocted coup or a hunt for witches. Then why should we now be surprised by the off-the-wall and silly statement couched as Gambia's position on Ivory Coast? The guy is very well aware of the mass movement that's growing around him and is trying everything to preempt it. He has engaged in these sorts of outrageous acts before.

The difference now is that we have had enough. We are tired of saying to others that we are from Zambia so they would not ask questions about our crazy professor doctor president; we are tired of a buffoon ruling the Gambia as his personal property, destroying many lives along the way. Enough is enough! Dictator Jammeh got to go now.

Gambia Pro-Democracy Group Launched

                                      Coalition for Change - The Gambia

                                                                                 PRESS RELEASE

                                                                          

The Coalition for Change -The Gambia (CCG), a civil, human and political rights organization, which brings together a cross-section of the Gambian community at home and abroad, has been launched.  The group is a non-partisan organization established to challenge the dictatorship and restore basic freedoms in The Gambia through nonviolent action.

The Coalition's formation is necessitated by the repressive political environment in which Gambians find themselves. Virtually all avenues of orderly political change have been shut by a despot determined to cling on to power by any means necessary.

Under normal circumstances, the CCG would have been registered with authority to engage in peaceful protests, submit grievances to the authorities, and hope that they would act to redress them.  But The Gambia’s story the past sixteen years has been all but conducive to the free expression of ideas. The political atmosphere in the country is extremely toxic for media practitioners, and journalists who dare criticize President Yahya Jammeh face risks ranging from arrest and prolonged detention to death.  To add insult to injury, political parties are routinely denied permission to hold public meetings and leaders who dare defy Yahya Jammeh's orders face arrest and jail.

Despite the repression, corruption and economic hardship Gambians are faced with, no one dares organize peaceful political protests against the regime. The last time peaceful protests were organized in April 2000, at least 14 innocent young students were gunned down by security agents. Additionally, opposition leaders have been rounded up only to be released after languishing in detention for exercising their democratic rights.  No institution or interest group is safe from the regime’s overreach. As a result, Gambians have by and large succumbed to fear as a result of the regime's ruthlessness.

CCG is calling on all groups and individuals from every sector of the community, in The Gambia and abroad, to join us in the struggle to dislodge the dictator from the helm in order to restore democracy and the rule of law. It is a challenge we must overcome. Members of the security services are particularly encouraged to join the struggle to save the dignity and honour of their profession.

And with the regime's total control of the media, CCG will employ a combination of social media and setting up of an FM station, Radio Free Gambia.  These mediums will be used to spread CCG’s messages before embarking on peaceful marches designed to end Jammeh's reign of terror.  Information about specific venues and actions to be taken will be provided as the situation warrants. 

CCG members are bound together by a common objective of ending The Gambia’s dictatorship and as well as the climate of fear that has so consumed Gambian society. 

The CCG calls on the regime to immediately:

·        Repeal laws that unduly restrict freedom of expression

·        Ensure equal access to public media for all political establishments

·        Organize a referendum to institute Presidential term limits

·        Free all political prisoners

·        End the arbitrary arrests, detentions, torture and murders

·        Investigate all mysterious deaths and disappearances

·        Respect freedom of assembly

We pray for success and look forward with hope for the support and participation of all Gambians in this noble and daunting task.

CONTACTS:

(1)   CoalitionForChangeGambia@gmail.com

(2)   TWITTER: @ChangeGambia, @KomboMansa, @theGambiaVoice

(3)   Face-book group: Coalition for Change – The Gambia

Issued in Banjul, The Gambia, April 2^nd, 2011. (CCG).

                                                                                           

The Gambia: Dictator Jammeh's Photo Album