By Lt. Col. Samsudeen Sarr (Rtd.) 

Dear Mr. Sankareh: We are now in the Holy month of Ramadan and my approach to life in general at this period is simply to tone down on many things, especially, those that somehow affect my emotions. It is a time when I modify my behavior or actions into a peace-fostering mode. That’s why in my attempt to discuss the latest state of political developments in The Gambia, I will to the best of my ability conduct it with the proper spirit of this sacred month.

However, Edward Singhateh finally losing his last grip to the power he had built with fanatical zeal thirteen years ago is a clear signal to all concerned Gambians that something eerie has been brewing beneath Jammeh’s political platform. This might be a shock or surprise to most people because of the inaccurate notion nurtured for so long that the last two mutineers still equally share the spoils of the coup when in reality, Jammeh had long since confiscated every element of power Edu ever had in his government. In addition to stripping him off of all his powers and influence, Jammeh has also reduced his former Vice Chairman down to being the most useless Minister in his Cabinet. If the rumor is true-though I really have my doubts over it- that he actually resigned before being fired then, my question to him is, what took him so long after he had outlived his usefulness? That is why I tend to lean more on the firing logic than what many have forwarded out of speculation.

In my book; Coup De’tat By the Gambia National Army , I have indeed tried to illustrate the intangibles within the cadre of the original coup organizers which by the very nature of their treacherous constitution had pitched them from the start on an imminent collusion course that has gradually devoured all of them; one after the other. Singhateh apparently was the last in line, although as I said above, Jammeh with tact and patience had gradually curtailed his value and effectiveness to zero. Singhateh’s flame was long extinguished when Jammeh denied him the Vice Presidency slot, forfeited the Defense Ministry portfolio from him, retired him from the military as Captain and promoted himself to the rank of Colonel. He even interdicted him in 1996 from carrying arms into the State House in a dramatic fashion so embarrassing that many of us thought that he was at last going to take his last stand. But he had always swallowed all the garbage and in the end became a disgraceful silent sycophant around Jammeh. His only difference with Every Mbye was that the Banjul praise singer would vocally flatter Jammeh in public while Singhateh did it by constantly nodding and bowing to whatever Jammeh said or did.

But in playing the sense of the fake loyalist, Jammeh, as I argued in my book, has long ago discovered the treacherous and wicked person Singhateh with power could be if left unchecked.

July 22^nd 1994, few hours after the coup, Singhateh addressed a sizable number of GNA and police officers in one of  Sir Dawda Jawara’s waiting rooms in which he clearly told all of us that him and Sabally alone were the organizers of the coup and that “even Jammeh was not part of it. He was invited to join us few days ago.” That was the beginning of a series of humiliations he had directed at Jammeh until the AFPRC Chairman woke up to the reality that the main man calling the shots was nothing but a bully bent on undercutting his respect. Another example of the embarrassing moments Jammeh was subjected to was after he was chosen as Chairman and they all came out saying that the Military Police Commander was chosen only because of his relative seniority in rank to the rest of them but nothing more. In other words, Jammeh to them was not chosen out of his competence over the rest of them but simply because he was a First Lieutenant while they were Second Lieutenants. I was also a witness on July 25, 1994 when His Excellency Ambassador Andrew Winters, USA rep. in The Gambia arranged for the junta leader to have a telephone conversation with Sir Dawda Jawara in a possible reconciliatory exercise brokered by the Americans. Throughout Mr. Winter’s shuttling back and forth from the USS Lamoure County Ship to State House in Banjul, we had all agreed that Jammeh the Chairman was going to talk to Jawara. However, when Mr. Winters came to escort Jammeh as the newly appointed Chairman, no sooner had he risen from the sofa than, Edward, in a very rude gesture literally ordered Jammeh to sit back. “I am the one who will talk to Jawara”, he had defiantly said and left with Mr. Winters. Sabally and Haidara were in town attending to strategic military matters. Singhateh didn’t even have the decency to tell anyone what he was going to discuss with Jawara. I cannot express in words how mortified we all were especially, Jammeh who took the direct heat before many of his juniors.

Doubtless to say, in the early days and months, Jammeh was treated not even like an equal in the power handling process but more like a mere symbol of a fool entrusted with the temporary care of the seat that could be taken away from him at any convenient time.

They really couldn’t understand the dynamics of what they had gotten themselves into. If I were tasked with writing the fundamental precepts that must be observed after a breakthrough coup I will start by stating this; under no circumstances must the new government be administered by a group of stakeholders who consider themselves equals in the power sharing mechanism.

Singhateh however was more or less the Ground Commander; but with his inexperience, low level of education compounded by share arrogance, Jammeh gave him the right length of rope until he put the noose over his neck.

In all sincerity, exposing this diabolical maniac was one of the main reasons why I seriously embarked on writing my book. The pervasive concept that the man was an accommodating child-loving honorable person-an impression he had diligently tried and very much succeeded in publicly establishing - was far different from what his inner core has been made of. The smiles, the bows, the gentle nodding and the modesty reinforced by the eloquence with that British accent were his most effective tools in his deception game. But con artists like him are usually very backward on factoring the probabilities of the future because in their shallow minds, they hardly see how the past is overwhelmingly linked to the resultants in the future.

His treachery started from day one; I mean July 22, 1994 and continued until Jammeh got him by the scrotum. This is the guy who after declaring in the presence of many GNA officers that Sana Sabally was the only dependable person who stood by him throughout the planning and execution of the coup turned to connive with Jammeh to arrest, detain and jail his so-called best friend on false charges.

In the presence of Turo Jawneh, Ndure Cham, Babucarr Jatta, Ebou Jallow and Kaba Bajo, he told us straight in our faces that he was commanding a clandestine “Death Squad” that he had used to take care of disloyal soldiers to Jammeh. “Lt Basiru Barrow had to be taken care of for his failure to be loyal to Chairman Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh”, he had added.

Lt. Basirou Barrow Executed by Singhateh

Yes as most GNA members would recall that “Death Squad” included the notorious killer Batch Jallow of Farato village who in those days was always seen around Singhateh often carrying an M203 Chinese grenade launcher willing to kill anybody at the snap of the lunatic’s finger. When Fafa Nyang was shot at Yundum Barracks by Singhateh at point range, and the young sergeant fell on his spilled guts, some soldiers present couldn’t resist the ugly look prompting them to cry openly. Batch from no command given to him cocked his weapon and threatened to shoot anyone “acting like a woman” in the site of the dying soldier.

Sgt. Fafa Nyang (murdered), Edu. & Lt. Beran Saye also murdered by Singhateh and Sgt. Kanyi below ordered to cut his legs so he could fit in the mass grave.

The same “Death Squad” had other known members like Lamin Fatty (a.k.a. Da- from Essau) Marong and Tumbul Tamba who was briefly recruited and was known for taking part in the execution of the late Koro Ceesay.

                                  

Sgt. Alhagie Kanyi (a.k.a. killer)

But the mad one who struck the most fear in the hearts of all was Alhagie Kanyi. This clown turned-a killer by Singhateh thought hurting defenseless humans was a game for fun. Witnesses to the November 11 killings of the arrested suspects still talk about how Singateh coached Kanyi and put him to perform the gruesome act bayoneting the victims while they were being transported to the Silo Forest for execution. By the time they arrived at the killing location, some had almost ran out of blood from bayonet stabs made by Kanyi on their rib cages.

Details stories of these psychopathic murderers and how the Almighty God punished them in his own way at the appropriate moment for their evil crimes is covered in my book.

Singhateh however was the Chief of the Squad and I knew his day was already marked on God’s calendar. Therefore, sympathizing with him in anyway would be a sin and a hypocritical ridicule to the families of those he had mercilessly obliterated.

Since the publication of my book, I have been inundated with preponderance of evidence that now conclusively illuminate the direct participation of Edward and Peter Singhateh in the brutal murder of Ousman Koro Ceesay thirteen years ago.

I was in my cell at Mile 11 Prisons on September 6 1994 at about 1:00 am watching Edward from a distance of less than ten feet making all attempts to crush the skull of Captain Mamat Cham with his wooden AK47 rifle butt as his victim cried for mercy on the cement floor with both his hands cuffed behind his back. By the time he was exhausted with vicious pounding and kicking, the defenseless Captain’s face was all blood and torn tissues. By calling me an S.O.B. in the middle of his delirium, I could smell the alcohol in his breath from that distance. He must have been binge drinking that whole night before coming to hurt his victims.

This same devil we must not forget was there as a Minister and his brother a key military Commander in the armed forces when the security forces massacred fourteen school children in 2001. Jammeh has always been the sole authority blamed for giving that illegal order at his hotel room in Cuba; but the facts shouldn’t be forgotten that the executors of illegal orders in any service establishment are as culpable to the crime committed as the person who gave the orders. All conscientious Gambians, in one way or the other cried over it or made their opposition to the massacre known to the whole world; yet with all their talked-about power base in the security forces, Edward and Peter didn’t try anything to stop it or minimize the destruction. So to those who still want to accord them that honorable treatment of being nobles among the Jammeh outcasts, should we conclude that they are powerless to act and have no such followers in the armed forces? Or were they also transmitting the orders from Cuba to their “loyalists” down the chain of command in the army urging them to brutally join in the killing orgy?

The Singhateh most Gambians don’t know about but has long been discovered by his close associates including Jammeh will kill his parents if staying in power had warranted it.

With all that terrible event of April 2001, when Jammeh was ready to purge his most loyal followers in “Operation No Compromise”, whom did he call to carry out the dirty work? SINGHATEH THE TERRIBLE.

Up to that time, Jammeh had rewarded him with nothing. Instead he had methodically robbed him of all the powers and importance he had usurped when he was the strongest man in the junta. At the time Jammeh was poised with his electric broom to sweep the likes of Yankuba Touray, Baba Jobe and Lang Conteh, Singhateh’s participation in government activities was only nods and bows to any trash that came out of his master’s mouth.

But as soon as Jammeh invited him for the dirty job, he jumped with excitement neglecting as usual that the evil plan directed against those men will sooner or later boomerang right back to him. He didn’t even care to recall the good old days he had shared with Yankuba; days so good that Yankuba even named one of his children after him.

It was around that same period that veteran Lawyer Ousman Sillah was shot and almost killed in an assassination attempt carried out by a “Death Squad” matching the same group Singhateh had supervised before. Unfortunately, all his filthy activities end up being shelve by the investigators as cold cases.  

And oh, I almost forgot. What has he done or ever said about the murder of Deyda Hydara? He probably congratulated the killers the next day and asked his brother Officer Peter Singhateh to ensure that they were all promoted and decorated with medals of gallantry.

Before the 1994 coup, Gambians were known for their civility and their commitment to preserve rather than hurt any living human being. The advent of this weird Singhateh however, introduced and strengthened in our midst the despicable practice of inhuman torturing of suspects disregarding what separates the innocent from the guilty. Every identifiable killer ever seen or heard about in this regime of death took his dressing or killing guidelines from Edu. When Hydara died in prison, thanks to his refusal to allow the doctors to evacuate the third Council member to the hospital for urgent medical attention, officers including myself declined to represent the government for the autopsy. I could also remember Major Coker declining as well. It was his brother Peter who finally attended on his brother’s request. This is what Edu had commented after Peter took the assignment: “Autopsies on dead humans are just like what you do to slaughtered “Tobaski” rams. Split them open and cut open the internal organs-very simple”.  

Nonetheless, when I first heard about his removal I thought, Jammeh had finally decided to throw him in his recycling bin like he frequently does with many of his toy Ministers. Ablie Sallah was just salvaged from the bin to replace Crispin Johnson, and I am afraid my former boss Babucarr Jatta must be getting rather weary there waiting for his turn. 

But with a dismissal from the job and the party and now followed with speculations of an arrest, the problem between Jammeh and Edu must be of far bigger magnitude.

I now have two concerns over this mess. One; what Jammeh is going to do about Peter Singhateh who is understandably the number two man in the armed forces hierarchy. Peter and Edu are not just blood brothers but are like equals sharing a very close relationship in body, spirit and mind. Rumors are that he is not in town; but wherever he may be, his future in the armed forces seem bleak. The trust on him will no longer be there and I don’t think he will ever be comfortable working for Jammeh under these circumstances. That means his contract must be terminated or he does the obvious, resign immediately.

The second fascinating concern is the big question; what really happened to warrant this major conflict?  There is no doubt in my mind that some thing very big happened and may by its signs and symptoms escalate into bigger things. Jammeh and Edward are masters in the art of treachery and deception to the extent where these habits in them sometimes take complete control of their senses of reasoning. The fact that no explanation is given for what is going on in this high-profile case of national security issue tells a lot about how dysfunctional this government has been. The silence has therefore, created a field day for the “Kankan” media. I wouldn’t quote the “Kankan” reasons spreading around, but so far I have been hit with five different ones including one that talked about the two almost going into blows. That sounds like a Ramadan joke to me.

Anyhow, the potential security crisis looming over this case is as compelling as those catalytic agents that incited the 1981 abortive coup and the 1994 coup as well. In all cases men of great prominence associated with the armed forces had suddenly fell out of favor with the government. And instead of acting decisively, the real actors acted irresponsibly faltering in every step taken to address the matter.

The same scenario has appeared again. This could be it. I mean the final in this government’s coffin.  

Lying about it as they have often done might not appeal to them this time. They have in fact lied so many times in similar situations that even if they attempt to tell the truth now people will question its authenticity. Beside, Edward was the genius in the lie-fabricating process. Now it would look like the lie-factory may run out of blueprints in the permanent absence of the key designer.

Who will forget April 2001 and the shameless lie that the school children during their peaceful protest broke into the Police Stations seized the arms and ammunitions and shot at each other resulting to over fourteen deaths? The frequency of such blatant lies has over the years, discredited this government beyond any conceivable recovery.

The situation is however very critical. It’s like the entire nation sitting on a primed time bomb with the clock ticking closer to the detonation point.Jammeh’s actions in this period will be the determining factor of whether his government will go or stay. I am afraid this might be it.

I will anyway conclude by saying this: My hunches may be inaccurate in that the whole thing is just Jammeh dumping another piece of trash in his recycling bin where Edu will quietly select a safe corner and wait for his boss to find him something.

Let’s pray and wish each other luck in the spirit of the Holy month of Ramadan.May God help us all. Amen!

Editor's Note: We appeal to all soldiers who may have photos of Samba Batch Jallow to please contact us. Numerous human rights groups are intereted in this monster's photo.We also continue to appeal to Koro Ceesay's family to please send us his photo.The Echo phone number is (919) 341-7604.