By Bubacarr Sankanu, B.A., LL.B., LL.M
The sacking of retired Captain Edward David Singhateh from the privileged positions of Secretary of State for Forestry and the Environment as well as Secretary-General of the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) party did not surprise me at all!
I saw it coming since 1996! Only that it took a record eleven (11) years to happen. My assessment then and now is based on the fact that there cannot be two strong men running a nation-state simultaneously. One has to step aside for the other to step forward. Otherwise, the dirty infightings would result to wastage of valuable performance time, economic stagnation and eventual state failure if not anarchism. Had President Jammeh not removed Edward Singhateh, Edward Singhateh would have removed President Jammeh! It is a matter of perfect timing and the courage to risk it first!
Cpt. Sankara assassinated by Cpt. Campoare
In Burkina Faso, Captain Thomas Sankarah ignored the warnings of his moderate and realistic advisers to check the funny behaviours of his former comrade-in-arms Blaise Campaore. Sankarah was too idealistic and thus refused to give the order to arrest Blaise until France and President Houphouet-Boigny of Ivory Coast reportedly used Blaise Campaore to eliminate him (Sankarah). I am organizing a weeklong film festival as part of Ghana’s Golden Jubilee. A special Pan-African section is dedicated to Captain Thomas Sankarah and one of his former advisers is among my special guests. More news on the authoritative Gambia Echo come November!
In Malawi, Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda started enjoying his self-proclaimed status of “President for life” after abducting his main pro-independence colleague Orton Chirwa who later died in detention. Comrade Mugabe of Zimbabwe could only weld his grip on power after neutralizing his archrival Joshua Nkomo. Even in the West or the East, it is the survival of the toughest. Tony Blair of the U.K. spent ten years living in a state of denial but when the going got tough, he stepped aside for the tougher guy Gordon Brown to lead Great Britain. The dubious Russian oligarchs who tried to play with “small boy” Vladimir Putin ended up either in Siberian jails or exile!
Therefore, the Jammeh-Singhateh fallout is not an exception but the rule in real life power politics.
The looser in this case is undoubtedly Edward Singhateh. Until his sacking, Singhateh was revered as the untouchable strongman who was dictating Jammeh from behind the curtains of power. This myth is now shattered. Even if Jammeh recycles Singhateh like he did with Yankouba Touray and Kaba Bajo, Singhateh will no more attract the demi-god status he once enjoyed. People would only see him as someone surviving at the mercy of Jammeh. The psychological defeat and damages for Edward Singhateh are just irreversible!
Dear Singhateh: this is nothing personal. I am not celebrating your downfall. I am just doing my thankless analyst’s job. If I were in your shoes, I would see my disgrace as a Godsend opportunity to review my life and make amends before it is too late. I would also see it as a unique chance to differentiate my enemies from my true friends. Do not allow yourself to be used by the disgruntled hypocrites for their hidden agenda or campaign of vengeance that could plunge our peaceful Gambia into crises. Remember you have lost your immunity and your name is linked to numerous alleged atrocities between 1994 and 2007 as a top actor in our Second Republic. Let no one fool you about the Indemnity Clause in our 1997 Constitution. President Jammeh is in the position of boxing an Amendment of this special protection clause through the National Assembly to exclude you and, instead of studying Law you could find yourself studying prison life. Remember Baba Job was stripped off his immunity overnight and dumped into jail. According to insiders, you allegedly played an influential role in Baba Jobe’s downfall. If this allegation is true, then poetic justice is now in full control of your skin! In the interest of Mother Gambia, your children, their mothers’ and in your own interest, see your abrupt removal as a second chance and look up to the future with restraint by resisting the allures of revenge or vendetta. As the saying goes, when one door is closed another one is opened, but for the wise. That is, if one repents sincerely!
To President Jammeh, the winner, I say take a deep breath after making an inevitable decision. I know you have been living through what I call a moral dilemma over Edward Singhateh and other sensitive issues but you have finally mustered courage. This is how a real man and a real President behaves: you risk your last trousers and take the right decision even if it means parcelling the whole world to Mars and the noise makers to Jupiter. When a leader exercises too much patience, people say he is a coward and when he acts authoritatively, they call him a dictator. One can and will never please humans.
Since no official explanation was given for the removal of Singhateh, people are enjoying their freedom of expression by joining the “Radio Kankan” experts in storytelling. Fellow Gambians, competing in spreading rumours, insults and lies just to win attention will never liberate The Gambia! As a “hated” moderate critic of Jammeh’s Gambia, I cannot help but make my own unorthodox general analyses of the Singhateh and associated cases at home. I am not an angry dissent to toe the lines of the join-the-list rumourmongers. My arguments are drawn from my experience inside government and public sector affairs.
Some commentators said Singhateh’s dismissal originated from his protest at the partial privatization of GAMTEL and GAMCEL. If true, I say it is too late for Singhateh to complain against a government he quietly and actively served for 13 consecutive years. People want me to believe that Singhateh values GAMTEL/GAMCEL more than the lives of the Gambians? Why didn’t he protest the unexplained killings of Deyda Hydara, Ousman Koro Ceesay, you count the rest? We can always create a new GAMTEL/GAMCEL but a new Deyda Hydara, a new Omar Barrow or a new Ousman Koro Ceesay can never be created! At worst the GAMTEL sale would be punished as an economic crime but the systemic killing of humans constitutes heinous murder! Others argued that Singhateh claimed Jammeh does not serve the Gambia’s interest. I was personally present when President Jammeh was telling his soldiers “destroy me if you believe I am not serving The Gambia’s interest”. Why has Singhateh not taken Jammeh by his words from the very moment he supposedly discovered that Jammeh betrayed the objectives of their risky July 22nd revolution of 1994? God bless the nonentities that swallow idle garbage!
I also heard people say Singhateh’s enrolment at the University of The Gambia to read Law made his boss Jammeh “jealous”. This explanation shows how narrow-minded some of the half-baked experts condemning Jammeh are. Bill Gates dropped out of university to follow his dream of revolutionizing the world. After fulfilling his dream, he retuned to school and has just graduated this year. Former President Obasanjo of Nigeria has gone back to school to read theology. The Prime Minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi got his degree via the distance-learning programme of the Open University, U.K. He could not read earlier due to the time he dedicated to the revolutionary struggle against Mengestu Haile Mariam. It is therefore, never late for Jammeh, FJC or any other top dog of the regime to go to school while or after serving our country. Those who believe in this “Jammeh is jealous of Singhateh” fantasy should just go back to nursery school!
There are people celebrating that Jammeh is afraid of travelling abroad for fear of being overthrown. I say nonsense! After Colonel Ndure Cham’s coup attempt Jammeh travelled to Venezuela. The killing Sheriff Minteh of London Corner early this year coincided with Jammeh’s trip to Cuba. It appears that this anti-Jammeh madness is making people loose their memories! I am not Jammeh’s international image manager I just want to help moderate people toward balanced criticisms and responsibility. Please understand this: a Head of State does not necessarily have to step out of his Palace to be removed or eliminated. Was Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara away when the July 22nd coup of 1994 was planned and executed? Was Charles Taylor out of Liberia when he was being disgraced out of office before global TV cameras in daylight? Laurent Desire Kabila of D.R. Congo was shot inside his Palace by one of his bodyguards who was reportedly paid and manipulated by Kabila’s enemies. India’s former Prime Minister Indira Ghandi was exchanging early morning pleasantries at the garden with her Sheik bodyguard who grabbed the opportunity to riddle her boy with bullets at close range.
My God! I know some people are eager to see Yahya Jammeh out of power but they would do justice to their own nerves if they broaden their horizons by accepting the truth. This obsession with the removal of Jammeh by force makes some people loose their sense of reasoning. Can someone please tell me who are made here, Jammeh or Jammeh’s haters? My brother and sisters, the innocent Gambians and lovers of the Gambia are being confused by the aggressive one-sided criticisms. If we want to avoid the mistakes of the past, let us please be role models of responsibility. As the Italians would say “basta” with this myopia!
Based on my modest experience inside government, Jammeh is spending more time at home because he his regime is at a crossroads. He needs to spearhead drastic governance reforms that cannot be done between frequent flyer miles. The foiled coup of March 2006 represents the domestic challenges Jammeh faces while the unresolved matter of the 44 West African immigrants mostly, Ghanaians symbolizes some of the international hurdles of the day.
With the removal of Edward Singhateh, Jammeh sends the signal that he is ready to do something about his human rights records since Singhateh reportedly personifies the numerous alleged rights abuse in The Gambia between 1994 and 2007. Those who insulted me for diplomatically reminding Jammeh of the human rights delivery of his government got it all wrong once again. With all their intellectual hoopla they achieved nothing while my moderate “comical” tone is helping bring relief to Gambians at home. The international development partners in Berlin, Paris, Washington D.C., Abuja, Oslo, Taipei, New York (U.N.), London, Addis Ababa, etc. have noted this development and they would see if Jammeh’s new domestic reform action is cosmetic or genuine before recommending appropriate actions. For if Jammeh takes any wrong step as of now, it would signal the beginning of the end of his era. But if he takes the right smart decisions, he would exit as a happy man.
Meanwhile, people can continue to enjoy free speech by declaring Singhateh innocent and Jammeh guilty or vice versa. The truth is, any serious judge would punish both of them accordingly. Singhateh is not a foot soldier that was just executing orders. As a de facto second in command of the Second Republic for 13 years, he was aware of, if not involved in; the planning and the execution of all or whatever human rights abuses in The Gambia until his downfall. Jammeh’s own culpability lies in his moral responsibility as the leader who could have stopped the alleged extra judicial killings. Saloth Sar alias “Pol Pot” of Cambodia died but his Second-in-Command Nuon Chea alias “Brother number 2” is currently facing trial for domestic human rights abuses of industrial magnitude during the Khmer Rouge communist adventures of the 1970s. Foday Sankoh of Sierra Leone escaped earthly justice when he died but his top rebel associates are being prosecuted. Though Chairman Mao of China died, his third spouse, Jiang Qing alias “Lang Ping” or Madame Mao, who reportedly played active role in ruining the lives of people was prosecuted. So even if President Jammeh dies naturally or artificially through regicide, God forbid, he would escape worldly justice. But any person who reportedly committed crimes against humanity be it killing or torture, will never escape justice with the elimination/removal of Jammeh. It does not matter whether he is called Singhateh, Dombaay, Mawdo, Yugo or Kekutanding!
Looking at the issue of the 44 dead Ghanaians, President Jammeh can argue that his subordinates misinformed him that those innocent travellers were mercenaries. This is probably the truth. He was misinformed and ill advised! In a normal court of law all those security officers who misinformed Jammeh would be prosecuted for lying to a person of authority. They would be prosecuted for butchering innocent human beings like animals. Jammeh would be held liable for allegedly giving the orders to summarily execute those men without the due process of the law. It all depends on how the lawyers argue before a judge. I told a relative that with the way Gambians are misusing the Internet to debate or destroy each other, there is likelihood that the Jammeh some of them are apparently fighting may escape the crimes he allegedly committed.
You can see how real life politics is gradually playing its role in case of the 44 Ghanaians. The Ghanaian Government, despite the silent diplomatic offensive is on the records for saying it cannot attack Jammeh. A Ghanaian Minister went further by recommending compensation for the families of the victims! I recommend Jammeh to accept the moral responsibility for one; the 44 dead Ghanaians were ECOWAS Citizens who were transiting through our Gambia banking on the principles of sub-regional integration and free mobility without much formality. Two, they were not given the legitimate chance to defend themselves against their accusers before a competent court of law and three, whether our government is responsible for their death or not, we have a moral case to answer since they met their untimely death within our national jurisdiction. If Jammeh recognizes the above arguments and subsequently agrees to the recommendation for reparation, he would score very good international human rights and image points. Ghaddafi of Libya compensated the families of the Lockerbie plane bombing and suddenly became everybody’s darling, from East to West! I sincerely advise President Jammeh to do the same for the dependencies of the killed Ghanaians. This will help minimise the international challenge or hostilities he is facing today!
When Jammeh lambasted praise-singers during an APRC victory celebration early this year, people thought he was referring to the musicians. In effect he was talking about the people lying and misinforming him day in, day out. Due to greed and irresponsibility they would lie to Jammeh, as some of them did with the 44 Ghanaians just to score points. What they failed to realise is that all our national security outfits report to Jammeh and what they tell him separately behind close doors is different from the news of Radio Kankan or the lies of the praise-singers. The tremors of Mam Sait Ceesay and Malik Sam Jones demonstrate what Jammeh was saying over people fantasying about him and his public value. There are countless praise-singers in the military and civilian domains lying to Jammeh more than Mam Sait and Malick. They would all tumble as Jammeh is spending more time at home studying their honesty, sincerity, loyalty and commitment.
The next challenge for Jammeh is what to do with the presumed supporters of Edward Singhateh, civilians and soldiers alike. Before some people had their loyalty divided between Jammeh and Singhateh. Now they could all rush to Jammeh as the absolute strong man standing. The competition for Jammeh’s favours is therefore, going to be tougher as people try to outdo each other in impressing and lying to Jammeh. There were reports that some 10-security personnel smell a rat and ran to Senegal. It is not clear whether they are Singhateh sympathizers or not. As always, some commentators have started calling on Senegal to support these dissidents in removing Jammeh from power.
Fortunately, the Senegalese authorities have good functioning brains. As long as Yahya Jammeh remains a good brother and neighbour, the Senegalese President of the day will not support any forceful removal of Jammeh without any legitimate mandate from say, the African Union, UN, ECOWAS or the Senegalese National Security Council for reasons of national interest. The Casamance question is clear. The Senegalese intelligence officers know more about Jammeh’s role in Casamance that some Internet commentators. Jammeh can from time to time detain some Casamance rebels and use them for additional bargaining power with Senegal as part of every day politics. So long he remains within the limits of common sense, Senegal will not interfere in our domestic affairs! The alleged dissidents have the option of joining Colonel Ndure Cham and others to form an independent armed rebel group and seek support from outside Senegal. But I don’t think Senegal would allow its territory to be used as launch pad for a civil war or coup d’etat in The Gambia. The dissidents can better seek political asylum from Senegal or any other country and focus on their personal live goals in peace. Former Aide De Camp (ADC) Major Khalifa Bajinka has reportedly opted for this latter solution and is now concentrating on getting peace of mind in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. It is however, an issue of freedom of choice. Why the man who supposedly knew everything remains mute is testimony to the kind of people Gambians are.
For those who still believe Jammeh is afraid of travelling, I say he is busy reforming his security system and chain of command. The removals of the Singhateh brothers, Edward and Peter, as well as the prior promotion of Lang Tombong Tamba (LTT) to the rank of Brigadier General buttress this point. From the public speeches of LTT I could follow, he repeatedly emphasized on the need to “be loyal to the Commander-In-Chief.” This made me conclude that LTT’s main jobs are to keep the security forces happy and to prevent any coup d’etat against Jammeh from succeeding. He has already passed his first test with the last minute bursting of Colonel Ndure Cham’s coup attempt. For a coup against Jammeh to succeed the intending coup makers have to either involve or eliminate LTT first! When the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency wanted to help get rid of Patrice Lumumba of Congo-Kinshasa, they used then Colonel Mobutu Sese Seko, Lumumba’s trusted aide. It remains to be seen if LTT would not be corrupted or manipulated by domestic or international lobbyists to betray Jammeh in a Palace or Barracks coup! Pakistan’s Zufikar Ali Bhutto created General Muhammed Zia ul-Haq as his Chief of Army Staff to protect him against his enemies and to help suppress growing domestic dissent of his actions. Before Bhutto could even cough, General Zia ul-Haq overthrew him and humiliated him through a kangaroo court before killing him! The same Zah ul-Haq later died in a suspicious air crash. I hope this would serve as a good history lesson.
There are people insinuating that LTT is being groomed to succeed Jammeh. I will be very careful in the interest of our Gambia. As Thomas Sankarah said “a soldier without political education is a virtual criminal”. LTT cannot lead the soldiers at the barracks and steer the APRC political machinery at the same time effectively. He can only perform one duty well at a time. If he wants to succeed Jammeh without being seen as another Sana Sabally or Edward Singhateh, he has to gradually give up his military duties and learn the dirty rules of politics and public diplomacy that are more complex than the hard military life. This means Jammeh has to groom a replacement for LTT who could prevent coups against him. Here lies the next problem. As the last man on top, most of Jammeh’s mates and strong rivals are out of the army. The younger soldiers are of another generation/batch and would only be there doing their jobs just to feed their families. They may not be that loyal to wholeheartedly defend Jammeh at all costs. They may have their ambitions and agenda that could involve overthrowing Jammeh, not necessarily to liberate Gambians but for them to “also enjoy!”
The mother of all challenges would emerge once Jammeh makes his retirement plans known. It is going to be a bloody dog eat dog succession battle, nastier than that the PPP (Peoples’ Progressive Party) stalwarts of the First Republic when former President Jawara announced plans to retire. Jammeh can only save his legacy by putting his feet down to anoint and support a successor as Obasanjo did with Umaru Yar’Adua of Nigeria and Yeltsin of Russia did with Putin. However, if he picks a successor the other contestants before the actual handover would prematurely destroy him or her. If he names a successor too late, the shock and disappointment in the ruling APRC party could demoralize the party activists who may loose interest in forming an effective resistance to a determined opposition for the votes. Even if the ruling party manages to “win” the particular transitional elections, the victorious Jammeh successor could then find him or herself struggling with legitimacy (acceptance) crises. When Jammeh contemplates too much over retirement like Sir Dawda, he would be overthrown. Again, it is all about perfect timing. This is the next biggest moral, political and strategic dilemma awaiting my Brother President Jammeh!
Personally, the lesson from the rise and fall of Edward Singhateh has once more justified my suspicion of the people yelling for an immediate regime-change in The Gambia by any unconstitutional means possible. Singhateh is on records for having spent his time complaining against his poor background and against the corruption and the inequitable distribution of wealth in the days of Sir Dawda Jawara’s PPP government. With the July 22nd coup of 1994, Singhateh got the historic chance to escape poverty and to correct the anomalies of the PPP system he bitterly complained about. Instead of proving to be the propagated “soldier with a different”, Singhateh allegedly helped in acclimatizing an alien culture of systematic torture, killings and associated extra-judicial malpractices within the fabrics of Gambian society. I see a lot of Singhatehs among the people asking for Yahya Jammeh’s big head at any price. They will lie to the people once they taste power. I am just tired of these hypocrites. They call themselves democrats but are not willing to give our weak Gambian democracy a natural chance to mature. They are preaching a cargo-cult mentality through which a perfect read-made Gambian democracy “can only be delivered” by special airship on an auspicious day. False prophets!
No one should impress me with paper education or international experience. Ex-President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah of Sierra Leone was boasting of his international exposure at the United Nations to win the hearts of international donor community and war-weary Sierra Leoneans. He was given the historic chance to spearhead the reconstruction of Sierra Leone. With all his technocratic executives, he ended up leading a corrupt and incompetent government, which shocked Sierra Leonean voters and the donors who spent fortunes supporting his government. The victory of the determined Sierra Leone opposition was largely stimulated by the laziness and the intellectual arrogance of the so-called experts who treated their common people as non-humans.
So those making noise over the state of our peaceful Gambia do not amuse me. I read of former Sports Minister Sheikh Omar Faye who raised the hopes of U.S. based Gambian dissidents to fight President Jammeh. Today, he is building a career inside the Jammeh Government he reportedly promised to destabilise. I can sense a lot of Sheikh Omar Fayes within the ranks of the Jammeh haters. They would convince you to join their liberation struggle with sweet Che Guevara slogans. Once you blindly jump into their bandwagons up to the Denton Bridge, they would stop, alight, take off other shoes and crawl like leprosy patients towards State House in Banjul. In other words, they would betray you at the 11th hour with the words “…. I am a breadwinner, I have a family to feed!” People are free to celebrate their freedom of expression by insulting me and calling me names. They will and can never cajole or scare me from my moderate lifestyle and chosen policy of moderate criticism of the government of the day, be it that of Yahya Jammeh or any other future Gambian leader. Even at gunpoint, I will never mince my words in propagating gradual democratic evolution in The Gambia.
Before signing off, I would like to thank the Publisher and Editor of The Gambia Echo for vindicating me once more. When I called The Gambia Echo “the Quintessence of Gambia-related Journalism” in my anniversary message titled “Towards Responsible Journalism” some people labelled me a charlatan, a comedian, a praise-singer, a Yahya Jammeh apologist, you name the rest. But the credible reportage on the demise of Edward Singhateh among other well-researched news items proved me right as usual. My critics can say this commentary is full of lies, half-truths and misleading examples. God the Omniscient knows the truthful realities of life will exonerate me as always.
Long Live The Gambia Echo…God blesses The Gambia at all times!