Understanding The Mind Of Yahya Jammeh

I have stated it before, if we do not understand Yahya Jammeh’s tactics, we play right into his hands. For over two decades it has been the same tactic replayed over and over and over again. Those familiar with it will see the theory of philosopher Georg Wilheim Friedrich Hegel at work, it is known as the Hegelian Dialectic.

The technique works in three steps as follows:
Create a problem
Generate a reaction
Propose a solution
In the original work the author referred to these stages as
Thesis  - create a problem.
Antithesis - generate a reaction, usually opposition to the problem (fear, panic and hysteria).
Synthesis - offer the solution to the problem created by step one.
This solution or change could not have been implemented or imposed on the people in anyway unless they are properly conditioned psychologically to accept the change, and this is why step 1 and 2 are critical, for without them step 3 will be impossible to come to.

Let's apply this to our Gambian situation as it plays in Yahya Jammeh’s mind starting from step 3 backwards.

Step 3. Solution to the current political situation in The Gambia (Synthesis) - arrest and detain the coalition leadership, possibly kill them while in detention (death in detention).

This scenario will be impossible without a ‘just cause’. It will be unacceptable to any Gambian as well as the international community and friends of The Gambia. So how can it be achieved with minimal condemnation and resistance especially from the army? Enter step 2.

Step 2. Generate a reaction from the opposition camp and their supporters that could justify arresting them. under the justification that they were inciting violence and compromising the ‘peace and stability’ of The Gambia. This is the antithesis to the problem that is about to be conceived. So in his mind, he’s thinking what can we do to make them panic, be fearful or hysterical, because if we can get them to that stage, we can force them to react on impulse. That reaction will be enough justification of arrest under the pretext of inciting violence and compromising the ‘peace and stability’ of The Gambia. With that, Yahya can impose a state of emergency and subvert the will of the people. What better way to do that without any insinuations than get the coalition supporters and preferably their leaders out on the streets in protest to some decision or proposal…. Enter the problem; Step 1.

Step 1. Create a problem! This stage is where Yahya Jammeh has been stuck in since December 9th, and like a scratched CD, he can't proceed to the next step. This is where one owes respect to the coalition leadership and the Gambians on the ground, especially the youth, for their maturity and level-headedness.

When Yahya came on TV to announce his “rejection in totality” of the final election results as declared by the IEC a week earlier, to which he conceded defeat, he was expecting mass hysteria and  angry reactions from the people and their leadership, what he got was shock and disbelief from some quotas, even fear; but the response was calculated. The people looked to their leaders for answers and we saw the maturity that was displayed.

What follows were negotiations,and counter-negotiations and still he wouldn’t budge just to escalate it into a no-hope situation and finally get the reaction from the people. This is why he refused to listen to the ECOWAS and UN envoys as high-powered as they were, stage 2 is still not attained. The coalition leadership spoke and the people listened, he grew impatient. The  CDS on TV, the visit from religious leaders and the ‘elders from Foni’ were all a tactic to render the situation hopeless, still no reaction. Boy you’ve got to love the Gambians. What on earth could provoke the reaction sought…..

“Pull down those #Gambia Has Decided posters and put my face back up, that will dampen their spirits and the war horns will sound” he thought. That didn’t happen. It is pretty obvious that if anyone tries to bring his ugly face down again, they will be arrested for destroying ‘public property’ or some other silly charge. This arrest will inspire a show of brotherhood and solidarity which could manifest itself in some form of protest and then BINGO! That didn’t happen, cooler heads and mature leadership owned the day. By now he is fuming, summons the IGP.

IGP ‘observed that some people are moving in convoys posing risk to other road users and that henceforth all convoys will have to have a permit to ply the roads.’ With this statement/edict who comes to mind; President-elect Adama Barrow who attended Friday prayers in a convoy last week. Weekend over, first order of business: New Rule.

As many implications as there can be to this,  one thing is clear;  the people are bound to feel disrespected and angry to such bold face disregard for their rights and their choice and hence some reaction may be forthcoming. It is undeniable, that all that Yahya is seeking at this point is to get a REACTION out of the people in opposition to his pronouncements directly or through his lap dogs. Gambians though, I am proud to say are generally  not impulsive,  and that is getting on his last nerves and he is at the cliff edge right now running out of ideas. So his next move is likely to be impulsive, uncalculated and stupid, but he might have yet another trick up his dirty sleeve. He is a fool, but an informed fool with clever, slimy and conniving alibis.

But Hon. Halifa Sallah said it best; Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain... Yahya Jammeh. The leadership is capable, competent, and mature. Let’s follow their lead no matter how provocative the situation, no matter how justified our reaction to Yahya’s shenanigans may seem. All he is seeking is some REACTION, any reaction. Let's not give him the pleasure and watch him chew his fingers off in frustration.

This is why if you listen closely to Hon. Halifa’s speeches, he emphasizes the LANGUAGE COMING FROM THE COALITION LEADERSHIP. This is to tell the audience that take note, we won’t speak any provocative language; never have, and neither will we invite our followers to REACT in an inappropriate way. We are constitutional and we will abide by the constitution which means recognizing that Yahya’s mandate is still valid. They saw him coming a thousand miles away, but the fool, ndeysan….
Bob Marley said: In the abundance of water, the fool is thirsty!

Stay calm people,  superior minds always prevail,  the pros are at the wheel. On that note, let us shift our focus away from Yahya Jammeh unto the NEW GAMBIA and what we want to make of it.

#NewGambia
#GambiaHasDecided

The Gambia Cannot Afford To Be Isolated

A few weeks leading up to the polls, I wrote a piece asking that you not subvert the will of the people; and in that piece I stated;

The peace and stability of the country lies solely in your hands. What you say, what you do, what you condone from your surrogates, what you order your security forces to do all have a potential to destabilize the country. Violence is always a reactionary response, always! Let peace reign, pay the price for peace; RESPECT THE CONSTITUTION AND THE PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO CHOICE! It is that simple.

With the growing list of organizations, individuals, civil servants, diplomats, NGOs, international partners, states and institutions of state, as well as regional, continental and global bodies all joining the call that you respect the will of The Gambian voter while at the same time declaring their support for and recognition of Mr. Adama Barrow as the legitimate authority in the Gambia come January 19^th, you remain defiant. You still sit in the State House paralyzed as regards your state functions and refusing to retract your December 9^th rejection of the polls after conceding defeat on December 2^nd.

What this means is that after January 18^th, you can no longer act on behalf of The Gambia in any respect with international and regional partners. Your authority, which was mandated by the Gambians will no longer be recognized anywhere in the world, what then for little Gambia?

To disrespect a people that have given you so much; or should it be that you have taken so much from and they let you get away with, speaks volumes of your character; a flawed character that you managed to shield from the public thus far in your over confident, tough talking, oath taking pronouncements on how much you love the Gambia and her citizens. Lo and behold, the intoxication of absolute power and the ill-gotten wealth that you so cherish is all you’ve truly cared about.

It came as a surprise in many quarters that you’d so easily accept defeat, but you were lauded nonetheless. When you did the about face from that position a few days later, it was an aha! moment in those quarters, it was too good to be true. Some people saw through the façade that you put up of a patriotic citizen out for the greater good and saw a despot hungry for power, wealth and fame; they gave you the benefit of the doubt only for you to prove them right. A lot of theories are out there as to why the volte face after conceding defeat to the opposition in the “rig-proof” elections that you are so proud of. The excuse that there was human error in the final results declared, which in no way changed the outcome of the results is just a scheme to subvert the will of the people.

Some say the prospect of prosecution and having to face the courts to account for your misdeeds got you too scared and hence the change of position. True, there has been talk of facing justice for the numerous atrocities you have been accused of, but is that not a fair request? All those orphans, widows, and grieving parents deserve to know what befell their loved ones and to have some closure. You claimed to have upheld the law in every instance of your presidency, why then would you be scared of answering to those same laws?

As a former president, there have been talks of pardon and reconciliation in recognition of some of the achievements of your administration. That claim is a fact, we saw when Lawyer Ousainou Draboe was released he stated that he forgave you personally as did the other political prisoners you held hostage. President-elect Adama Barrow stated he has no interest in prosecuting you. Typical to Gambian character, the need for reconciliation and forgiving past errors was a very likely outcome for you, question is what of your accomplices who are not so prominent in status but are known to have acted on your behalf in committing gross human rights violations and torture? Some say they are holding you hostage to save themselves from the fate that awaits them. They don’t want to be thrown to the wolves; understandable.

We get it, the unknown can be scary. The uncertainty of what life after so much power and wealth will be like got you scared enough to take a whole nation hostage. But what powers have you to change the world’s position towards you and the Gambia you want to impose yourself on?

We know you had nothing when you imposed yourself on us in 1994; you grew richer than all 2 million of us combined but we never asked where Allah’s World Bank was. If there is an iota of decency left in you please yield to the desire of the Gambians you claim to care so much about, The Gambia that gave you so much. If you truly have a fraction of the faith you profess to have in the “Almighty Allah” let His will reign above your desire, after all submitting to the will of God is the character of a true Muslim like you claim to be. 

Whatever fate awaits you, face it with grace and dignity, don’t let us remember you as the cry baby who had to be dragged out of the State House wailing and kicking. You’ve been too tough for us to even conceive of you in that manner.

We know how much harder life gets when there is a border standoff with Senegal spearheaded by the transport union; this time around you are calling for an impasse backed not just by the government of Senegal but with the whole world, at least those who care to have any relationship with our dear little Gambia. How’d you think we will fare as a people? Any action Senegal decides to take this time around in order to put pressure on you has the backing of the regional body; ECOWAS and the African Union (AU), as well as the United Nations. 

What if; theoretically, Senegal decides to close off her air space and issue an arrest warrant for you and any member of your family or government? We all know how much Zeinab hates being in Banjul, if your actions cause her to be stranded there State House will be hell for you. If at the time of that decision being made finds her in some far flung corner of the developed world, the prospect of her enjoying your wealth without you, or the prospect of not seeing her for an indeterminate period of time, (like ever) will cause more erratic and irresponsible behaviors from you, and we certainly as a people cannot afford an erratic lovesick Yahya Jammeh.

This scenario is just to ring it closer to home; there is a worst case scenario that no one wants to delve into. All we ask is that you give us back our country. If you like tear down the entire infrastructure you built if you felt betrayed by Gambians, we’d rather be back to pre-1994 Gambia cherishing our peace than be a 2017 “Dubai” in civil strife.

On the other hand, if your drug dealing and arms-trafficking buddies are after you for chickening out to Adama Barrow, come clean and tell us where the stash is; you know never where help can come from. But please, after everything we did for you, don’t take away from us our most cherished asset; PEACE.

So please, jee. Dukareh!

Hello - A Coded Plea Bargain!

I’ve been alone with these thoughts inside my mind

And in my dreams I told myself it’s a lie a thousand times

I decided to call to see if it’s really true

Hello, are you hearing me? PARDON…

I can hear it in your voice

I can see it everywhere I look

You’re all I ever dreaded and now my fears are alive

Cos I know just what I did and I know not what the victims will do to me

And I want to tell them so much, PARDON ME

I dread the nights of solitude

I relive the nightmares I caused others time and time again

Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow

Hello, I’ve just gotta wake up from this nightmare

Cos I wonder how this happened

As the oracles told me I’ll die a king

But deep down inside I had my doubts

Tell me how you won this victory, for I haven’t got a clue

But let me start by saying, I’m screwed

Hello, are you hearing me? PARDON

These thoughts I will keep to myself

Cos I’ve acted so tough but now my chicken heart is about to show

Will you shield me?

See my back is against the wall

These generals and jungulars are scared too and they have me in a bind

I promised them everlasting immunity and now you’re here

Hello, are you hearing me? I’m just crying for help

This smile of mine is masking my fears

My hotel’s 5 star rating has been downgraded and I can’t set foot there

With thoughts of Zeinab spending all my money far away

I do not intend to be cell mates with these animals

I will settle for farming in Kanilai

Hello, are you hearing me?

Hear my unspoken fears,

I just wanna say please forgive me,

But the generals say I have to stay tough

Hello, are you hearing me as I speak of a PARDON

-Yahya Jammeh

How To Defeat A Tyrant

The Gambia, little Gambia that one of my Ghanaian friends calls “Gambia Village” has done it to the collective delight and admiration of most Africans. Determination, mass mobilization, and grassroots engagement are the watchwords. Above all, a sustained and relentless push back from the diaspora Gambians, who for the longest time have refused to be silent about the oppression in their native land. They were called ‘Cyber/Keyboard Warriors’, but through their sustained campaign, they showed that the pen (keyboard in this case) is mightier than the sword (guns in this case).

In Africa, we are accustomed to corrupt leaders and corrupt systems that are sustained by brute force, intimidation, torture and extra judicial killings. The cycle only changes with another military coup and a then the repeat button is hit again. With the exception of very few countries, we as a people do not see hope in the democratic process for instituting change. With the state machinery at their disposal, incumbents hardly ever lose elections in Africa, and so the citizens have resigned their fate to enhancing the status quo through voter apathy, but in fact people power always reigns supreme if unity is sought.

The Gambian experience is unique in that regard. Here was a man who overthrew a democratically elected government and set the stage for self-perpetuation which lasted 22 years. With the state machinery fully at his disposal, dissent was entirely suppressed, people with political capital and popularity banned from contesting elections under the guise of preventing the ‘old guard’ from assuming power and bringing back the corrupt old ways, or simply claiming age limits as a constitutional, rubber stamped by his ‘national assembly’. With the electoral commission fully sponsored by the state and the constitution reformed to eliminate term limits and institute simple majority as rule, with a divided opposition and a very short (few days) political campaign window, the stage was set for repeat wins at the polls. And so it was until this year (2016), when with immense pressure from the citizens, especially the diaspora Gambians that opposition unity was achieved.

With the odds stacked against them in every way and a total media blackout, the online radios took the airwaves, the voice and SMS call apps (WhatsApp and Viber), Facebook and Twitter, were used to set up ‘command centers’ and information exchange platforms. Calls for funding were constantly sounded and most importantly the need to not be intimidated but to get out and vote. All these efforts, coupled with the opposition caravans on the ground doing house to house calls, literally; culminated in a shock defeat for a 22 year entrenched dictator.

The Gambia was dealing with a dictator skilled at his trade. He unilaterally decided to rescind the country’s membership of both the Commonwealth and the International Criminal Court (ICC), declared the country and ‘Islamic Republic’, and was actively campaigning to wrench sovereignty from the people and reside it in himself by declaring the country a monarchy. Many observers saw this election as the last election in The Gambia prior to the declaration of a monarchy by Yahya Jammeh.

But the Gambian people, emboldened by the sacrifices of the main opposition party leader and his executive, as well as countless other Gambians, fearful of a new mandate that could see the country slide down the path to civil strife with the president’s utterances against the largest ethnic group; the Mandinka, that many saw as insults, they came out in droves to declare their dissatisfaction with the status quo. With a resounding NO, they declared their determination to end tyranny. This, with a steady, brave and united leadership saw the defeat of a tyrant unwilling to let go of power no matter the cost.

To this generation and the upcoming generation of Gambian, no one can convince them that their vote does not count. The greatest achievement of all these efforts was the unity of purpose and the political awakening of a generation. With this win, the Gambia is set to never allow any leader to overstep his or her mandate ever again, people power is real and when harnessed, it brings about lasting positive change.

In little Gambia, the will of the people shall rule henceforth, for the vanguards who fought such a hard battle are watching. The Smiling Coast smiles again and with that beaming smile, every African nation whose citizens are forced to submit to the whims of a tyrant can see hope and every tyrant should see an example of what an emboldened  people, determined to reclaim their sovereignty are capable of.