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

An African Union

A child in need, hurt and aching; calls out to her mother, longing for her touch, her comfort and her assurance. It is said that even dying men call out for their mothers. Africa, home of the black man, is that mother to people of African descent. They have suffered all forms of injustice, indignity, and suffering. Even in lands that have been set up as their home away from Africa, they find no peace. Black people are looked at with contempt, disrespect, and belittled in every way imaginable.

In April and May 1964, Malcolm X sought the help of independent African nations to help the course of the black civil rights movement. This visit led to his formation of the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) with such goals like restoring the connections with Africa, educating diaspora Africans about Africa as well as setting up economic ties with Africa, all in the hope of reorienting blacks to a positive image of Africa. Africa, through the newly formed Organization of African Unity (OAU) wasn't very effective in furthering the course of the civil rights movement, neither was it in a position to put any pressure on the US to recognize black as citizens of the US with rights like any other citizen of the US. Besides, apartheid was at its worse right under its nose too but collectively, the continent couldn't save her own citizens on the continent. One may say this is due to the infancy independence and the lack of structures to effectively lobby for any course.

Fast forward to 2015, Guyana's new government is asking for support from the African Union amongst other international players to help diplomatically resolve the border dispute with its larger neighbor Venezuela. This help too will not be forthcoming unfortunately due to the ineffectiveness of this continental body. A sad situation however one looks at it.

Black people as a race, have collectively been fighting for their dignity longer than any group of people, they have suffered the most, collectively as a people. They are the most oppressed. No reprieve, no hope for better days, they feel so down and beat almost to the point of defeat; then they look up to Africa for help, and what do they see? Their hopes are dashed, dreams crushed, salvation unlikely, because the mother herself is in bondage, suffering, crying and bleeding more than they are, yet we can’t seem to do much to help. Even the oppressors cite conditions in Africa to justify their oppression of blacks, because our leaders are worse. Then, unwillingly, we accept our status and the labels put on us. We’ve lost the physical fight, we’ve lost the mental fight, and the spiritual strength is waning fast. 

But if history taught us one thing, it is that you cannot break the spirit and will of the true black man to true self-determination and dignity. And fortunately, there is still a lot of those true spirits left and they are not resting, they are fighting on.

The Israeli prime minister recently called for Jews 'persecuted' in Europe to come back to Israel and will be received with open arms, even though it may be back to some stolen land, they have a place to go with hopes of a better life. What African leader could say the same to oppressed blacks elsewhere who choose to look up to Africa for salvation? They cannot even stand up to face leaders of countries openly dehumanizing black people and tell it to their face because collectively their words amount to nothing even at the assembly of nations. 

Listen to the voices of some of your oppressed brothers and sisters and for once see things from their position. When the Emperor Haile Selassie gave Sashamane Land to the blacks from Jamaica who wanted to resettle in Africa, he did it with a higher goal in mind, the unification of blacks across the world.

Black unity should be understood in the context of brotherhood amongst people with so much in common and not as a plot to dominance over any group. It is a fight for dignity and independence in the true sense of the word and not a power struggle. Africa can be independent of the rest of the world in every sense of the word, so Africans need not dominate or colonize others for any reason.

Nkrumah said it decades ago that if we do not unite, we will perish, the situation in Africa today is proof of that.

But just like we emerged from colonialism, so too will we emerge from neo-colonialism. The dawn of Africa’s true independence and subsequent unification is upon us and we should embrace it.

“Unite for the benefit of your people for its later than you think...Cause Jah children wanna come home” (Bob Marley)