DAVID CAMERON-UK PRIME MINISTER

By Sarata Jabbbi

The UK government in partnership with UNICEF have on Thursday July 22^nd, hosted the world first Girl Summit at the Walworth academy in south London. The aim of the conference was to mobilise domestic and international efforts to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and child early and forced marriage (CEFM) within a generation.

Speaking at the Girl Summit– the Home Secretary, Theresa May, said the cross-party unit would help protect thousands of girls across the country. The unit, which could operate in a similar way to the government’s forced marriage unit, has been a key demand of campaigners against FGM. “These measures will ensure that we can maintain the momentum on stamping out these harmful practices,” May said.Home Secretary May added that the government would also strengthen laws around FGM, by holding parents responsible if their child was a victim of the practice. May, however, went further to announce a consultation into making it mandatory for professionals to report FGM and said victims going through court cases would be given lifelong anonymity.

As part of a £1.4m prevention programme, charities will receive funding to create community “champions” with the “cultural knowledge and the connections necessary to challenge beliefs and behaviours”. “We are making progress. Today we are taking one more step on the road towards giving women a voice and eradicating these harmful practices,” concluded May.

FGM has been illegal in the UK for three decades, but the first prosecution was only made in March and is currently going through the courts. As part of a £1.4m prevention programme, charities will receive funding to create community “champions” with the “cultural knowledge and the connections necessary to challenge beliefs and behaviours”.

For his part the Prime Minister David Cameron saidthe government is to legally oblige doctors, social workers and teachers to report FGM if they see it. “What we are trying to achieve is such a simple and noble and good ambition, which is to outlaw the practices of female genital mutilation and early child forced marriage,” he said.

Cameron highlighted the equality between boys and girls by saying, “for me the context is very simple. The context is about equality. I am a dad with three children, two girls and a boy. And I want my girls to grow up with every opportunity my son have, and that is what this is about – equality.”

Many speakers including FGM survivors, gender activist and girls’ education campaigners expresses their concerns over harmful traditional practices, among them was Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani education advocator said people to abandon traditions that are harmful to human beings.

She added that Islam did not condone FGM and early forced marriage, and challenged those who used religion as an excuse to subjugate girls. “There are people who need to read the Qur’an again and do a little bit more study,” she said. Around 600 people from England and the rest of the countries in the world attended summit.

IGP Sonko where is Imam Lasana Fatty?

A local Imam of Kerewan Dumbo Koto in Lower Fuladu District of Central River Region is reported to have been picked up by the police. According to family sources the Imam was detained since Saturday, July 5th 2014. The reason behind Imam Lasana Fatty’s arrest and detention without trial is not clear but others say it might be as a result of a dispute over the construction of an additional mosque in the village. Villagers express dismay about the involvement of Police on a civil matter that is on the verge of being resolved.

The regime in Banjul is known for intimidating religious clerics who are upright and don’t shy away from telling the truth to the power that be. Imam Bakawsu Fofana was also a victim of such intimidation by the satanic regime. He was arrested and seriously maltreated on two occasion and he had to flee to neighboring country Senegal. Imam Ismaila Manjang was also detained without trial for a number of days when he gave a lecture condemning idol worship and associating partners with God. The religious cleric whose arrest and detention caught international attention was Imam Baba Leigh currently living in the United States. He was arrested and kept incommunicado for barely 5 months without any charges. Relatives of Imam Lasana fear for his life as this regime is known for treating those in detention inhumanely. The regime should either charge the religious cleric and bring him to court or release him. It is totally outrageous that in this holy month of Ramadan a government headed by someone who parades with the Holy Qur’an and wears big white “haftan” would keep an Imam away from his family , loved ones and congregation.

DICTATOR JAMMEH

MR SALLAH-GAMBIA’S SHORTEST SERVING SG & MINISTER OF PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS

Mr Abdoulaye Sallah, who took over office from Momodou Sabally barely a week ago, has been fired by Gambia’s rapist President- Yahya AJJ Jammeh. No reason was communicated for the sudden and unexpected sacking of Mr Sallah. As we go to press, Kibaaro News can only authoritative confirm that Gambia’s shortest serving Secretary General and Minister of Presidential Affairs has handed over his portfolios to Mr Kalilu Bayo.

Prior to his assumption of the highest civil service position, Abdoulaye Sallah was Secretary to the Cabinet. We will update you with the development of the story as we gather more information for you.

THE LATE BUBA BALDEH

The death of a fighter, a hero and a true son of the Gambia, Alhagie Bubacarr Michael Baldeh, is sadly announced to all Gambians, friends of the Gambia and all human rights activists. He passed away last night in the Senegalese capital, Dakar where he was in exile after falling out with the scallywag Jammeh government. The circumstances leading to his demise remain opaque. Some close associates of the late Gambian political activist opined that he was poisoned while attending a conference in Nigeria last week.

What is even more agonizing is the announcement of the felonious Jammeh regime that Mr Baldeh’s corpse will not be allowed entry into the Gambia for burial. Readers will recall Dictator Jammeh took the same stance when Kukoi Samba Sanyang also passed away in Mali last year. This uncultured decision by President Jammeh punctuates his hatred for Gambia and her true sons and daughters. Even the death that deserves societal last respect are scorned, humiliated and banished by President Jammeh. What sort of a Muslim will deny his fellow Muslim his last religious ritual apart from Jammeh?

The late Buba Baldeh, as he was affectionately known, hailed from Basse Mansasjang-Kunda. He worked for the Action Aid before opting into politics and becoming the first parliamentarian of the newly demarcated Jimara Constituency. Later he became the Minister of Youths and Sports until the military coup in July 1994. Buba also served the Jammeh regime as the APRC Secretary General and Managing Director of the Daily Observer before running afoul with President Jammeh and subsequently living in exile. He is survived by two wives and many children, the eldest, Muhammed Baldeh, residing in the USA.

The management and staff of Kibaaro News hereby extend their condolence to the Baldeh family. May his blessed soul rest in peace.

THE DISGRACED MOMODOU SABALLY

BREAKING NEWS

Unmpeachable news reaching Kibaaro has confirmed that “The Mighty Pen” of Banjul, Momodou Sabally, has finally run out of ink. According to the State owned Radio and Television Service (GRTS) tonight 22:00 News edition read by Ndey Kumba Demba, Momodou Sabally has been fired and relieved off all cabinet duties with immediate effect. No reason was given apart from his sacking order was issued by the President. Sabally who was recently stripped off his SG and Minister of Presidential Affairs portfolios and redeployed as Minister of Higher Education is dumped by Jammeh who perceived him as “being too arrogant”. Last night he was spotted at the nefarious NIA headquarters in Banjul.

“It is highly predictable that” Sabally, “like some preceding functionaries who allegedly ran afoul of the dictatorial Jammeh regime, will soon be slammed with charges of negligence of duty and malfeasance” (The Gambia Echo). The disgraced former SG and Minister of Presidential Affairs cannot say that he was not forewarned by those he coined as “bad and irresponsible citizens tarnishing the image of the Gambia in the diaspora”. His doom was so obvious that even the blind could see it coming like a hurricane.

Many believed Dictator Jammeh was alluding to Sabally when he stated: “Arrogance would not be tolerated especially towards anybody more so towards your fellow ministers. You’ve a responsibility but you are not a lord of anybody. If you are given a responsibility and you think that you are so good that you decide when to be approached and when not to be approached, you are in the wrong place because my government is not meant for that.”

President Jammeh continued: “You are given a responsibility to serve the people of The Gambia whether you are the president, vice president, minister, permanent secretary or minister for Presidential Affairs. Whatever you are in this government, you are just a mere servant of the people of The Gambia for which our boss is the Almighty Allah.”

“You cannot be more president than the president himself, you cannot be more Muslim than the Prophet Mohammed (SAW) and so I see no reason why anybody would see his or her appointment as a license to show arrogance and bluff, it will not work in this government. I am humble because I know why because the Almighty Allah is the master and that He says that we should all be humble.  So one fundamental principle is the fact that we are servants of the people of this country and being servants we cannot be so arrogant or bluff, after all what is it? It is just a mere appointment. After all, all we have is just the position and Allah can take it at any time. Being president doesn’t mean I am better than anybody. I am appointed president to serve the people of The Gambia and humanity and that’s why we are here. Even if you are an Imam, you are appointed to serve the people, so if you think that you are better than anybody else you making a great mistake. Allah talks about being moderate in every verse of the Qur’an, being humble, approachable and reasonable. When you look at Suratul Asri, as short as it is, it is the one that determines your relationship with anybody. It defines who you are.”

 “We work together for the good of everybody in this country, so if you think you are better because you are appointed something else when you are not even the president, you are you just attracting the yellow card in addition to the red card because once I give you the yellow card, the next would be the red card. After all what is it, if we die, we going to be buried in the same soil like the beggars where even the lunatic is going to be buried. So what is the big deal about being a minister or secretary general? We are just the mere servant of the people and in the eyes we are all slaves, so let us work together as a family. Let us always wish each other well because in Cabinet we are a family. The truth will always prevail, I didn’t appoint anybody to suppress anybody or to look low upon on anyone,” he concluded.

Sabally’s fall from grace to amazing disgrace should be a wakeup call for those Gambian intellectuals craving for a pine of pleasure with Dictator Jammeh who is celebrated for using, shaming and dumping people after they accomplished his dirty jobs for him.

Sabally lost two scretary-general positions within a week.

A year ago Momodou Sabally, who was singing praises for The Gambia’s leader, Yahya Jammeh with the pen was appointed Secretary-General and head of Civil Service, as well as the Minister for Presidential Affairs. He also doubled as the APRC party secretary-general.

Sabally an economist, who was working at the Gambia Central Bank wore two Secretary-General caps until his recent fall out with Jammeh, which resulted in him being demoted to serve as Minister for Higher Education. In less than a week after his demotion from the position of the mighty Minister of Presidential Affairs and head of Civil Service, Sabally was also stripped off his position as the Secretary-General of the President party, APRC.

He would go down in the history books of Gambia, as the Secretary of State, who lost two Secretary-General positions in the space of 7 days.

There are no clear-cut explanations as to what might have resulted in Sabally’s nose-dive from the top of the ladder of the Jammeh regime, but observers pointed at the President’s recent speech condemning arrogance of certain civil servants. Mr. Jammeh made the remark during the swearing ceremony of Sabally’s successor Mr Abdoulaie Sallah, who is now the new Secretary-General and Minister for Presidential Affairs.

The Gambia leader is reported to have said that “nobody can be more President than the President himself”. He condemned some cabinet Ministers of being too arrogant, even to their colleagues. He said some of them make themselves unapproachable and even decide on when to be approached by fellow cabinet Ministers. Jammeh condemns such behaviours, as unacceptable. One thing is clear about Jammeh though, is his jealously over his position of presidency and would  frown at anyone, who behaves like a President right under his nose at State House.

Editorial:

Kibaaro News has been reliably informed by our sources within the corridors of the State House that Sabally’s fall out with the President started sometime after his infamous speech of October 2013, when the young Sabally took a swipe at the Mandinkos as unpatriotic. Our source explained that the problem was not what Sabally stated in the speech but what he did before delivering his speech on the GRTS. Our source explained that, Mr Sabally is said to have requested for the National Anthem to be played first on air, a tradition that is only reserved for the head of state, before he delivered his infamous speech. 

Our source explained that that mistake of Sabally had sent President Jammeh fuming and had never forgiven him for it since. Thereafter, it is believed that he had given Sabally his infamous long rope to hang himself. The President is said to have, on several occasions, derided Mr Sabally as a fool! He further told him off, on several occasions, by asking to go back to school and learn, as he knows nothing. Despite boasting to be the Gambia’s pen!

Our source further explained that Momodou Sabally, however failed to read between the lines and behaved inappropriately towards his colleagues, including the man who becomes his successor Mr Abdoulie Sallah, who he once rebuked for using a pen to take minutes of their cabinet meeting.

Our source concluded that this is just the beginning of the fall out of President Jammeh and Mr Sabally. Kibaaro will keep you posted on this fascinating story of the down fall of Momodou Sabally! 

An appeal to all Gambian Activist groupings

Author implores unity against Jammeh

By A Concerned Gambian

The Diaspora Gambians should perhaps now focus, we believe, on extensive and wider consultations geared towards devising ways and means of addressing and circumventing the current impasse in our legitimate and rightful struggle (irrespective of differences in political ideology, allegiance and approach).

A meeting of minds or convergence of views on burning issues is of critical and paramount importance. It is therefore absolutely necessary to have a forum for fruitful and meaningful discussions on a review of the options pursued for now almost 20 years and to be able to forge ahead on a new course soonest in a bid to bring about the much desired fundamental and beneficial change within our struggle (both at home and abroad).

Notwithstanding tribal or political affiliations and differences but with a common and known enemy, let us now, in a frank and open Diaspora debate devoid of sterile, divisive and partisan exchanges, endeavour to formulate, with a sense of urgency and responsibility, a consensual common strategy, an acceptable road map and a credible way forward for the liberation and advancement of our people in accordance with their legitimate, inalienable and non-negotiable rights and aspirations.

All options (political or military) should be on the table for general discussion and review. In our humble view and learning from the other experiences elsewhere and with the benefit of hind-sight, no option should be ruled out. Being faced with such problematic and controversial situation for the first time in our country’s history and now at a crossroads, perhaps a combination of political, civil and military action should be envisaged. In the circumstances, all Gambian brilliant minds and luminaries should be summoned and all energies marshalled under the clarion call to liberate our people and free our country from the yoke of barbaric tyranny and the shackles of endless oppression by empowering both present and future generations to be able to ensure that never again should we allow such a misplaced and misguided man-made “fatwa” or “natu” (in local parlance) to befall us.

We believe that all our well experienced and highly educated individuals both in the Diaspora and back home in the Gambia (especially political party and civil society leaders) as well as many other political and civil rights activists (male and female), with appreciable political acumen, as well as our vibrant youth should be on board and readily available to offer the requisite important and critical inputs or contributions of sound conceptual and empirical nature to deal with the magnitude and gravity of the task at hand.

Alongside, experts in military matters as those within the NRMG or other known mavericks with military background, experience or expertise may wish to start developing a concept of operations (CONOPS) or Rules of Engagement (ROE) in the event that the military option becomes absolutely inevitable as a last resort or even needs to accompany the political engagement of whatever form.

We must also ensure the buy-in of the international partners and other non-Gambian sympathizers and activists in our struggle. Perhaps it would be necessary, as a start, if we approach some NGOs or charitable entities to help with the organization and funding of such initiative. The online media’s role would be crucial in a sensitization and mobilization campaign which is a sine qua non for the realization and success of this endeavour. To accompany the effort, individual contributions and donations (of whatever form or kind) from other well-wishers and sympathizers would not only demonstrate our seriousness and genuine commitment but would also go a long way in ensuring the ownership and credibility of our struggle in the eyes of the international community.

We will continue the ongoing consultations with other Gambian and non-Gambian protagonists, and would in due course propose , for a general debate and guidance in our democratic discourse, some possible strategies which would entail some of those options already being mooted or bandied around within the struggle (both at home and in the Diaspora). In this connection, we will be submitting, from our side, a draft concept note and possible road map while awaiting our military counterparts to develop their own strategy and action plan for inclusion in the overall blue-print.

It should be understood that we have taken the liberty of making the foregoing proposal for the simple reason that we believe we should not allow ourselves to stagnate in the present quandary or quagmire as we lay back to look for “who will bell the cat”.

The status quo of total inaction and situation of utter paralysis back home in the Gambia is mirrored in the lack of purposeful endeavour and seriously organized collective action in the Diaspora. We are fast becoming toothless bull dogs and paper tigers only good at barking at each other and tearing each other apart.

With a stagnant economy, near collapse of social services, suffocating cost of living, absence of basic liberties, total injustice and enforced impunity back home, we would be failing our own suffering people and doing a great disservice to humanity if we abdicate our responsibility to act and decisively for that matter.

We therefore cannot continue bemoaning endlessly like a jeremiad or crying peevishly and helplessly about the present inordinate stalemate and awkward impasse in our overall just and rightful struggle.

Let us then now get up and try to seriously do something about it.

Ramadan Mubarak!