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Momodou
Denmark
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 Posted - 23 Aug 2011 : 10:03:42
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Dailynews Editorial: Re Tribalism in Gambian Politics
By Ousman Touray in URR
Monday, August 22, 2011
On Friday, we published an op-ed article headlined: ‘Tribalism in Gambian Politics. Featured on Kaabefo (letter to the editor) column, the story is authored by one of our most ardent contributors, Mr Anonymous - as he or she masks himself - a Gambian in USA.
His comment was motivated by the ‘scolding’ of Gambian president Yahya Jammeh on the online media following his typical rage against a certain tribe he feels, sympathises with fellow tribesmen aspiring for leadership, instead of him.
Indeed, Anonymous could not be more right in admitting that, “Empowering fellow tribesmen is not an alien practice in African or Gambian politics. It would not be a stretch, neither hard to reference cases during our first republic where such a correlation existed between a great many public servants heading high profile positions and the tribe they belong.”
But Anonymous was even bold enough to add that, “the issue of tribe and tribalism has been quite prominent in Gambian political discourse of recent, partly due to reckless statements from a good number of our political leaders and commentators.”
As a conscientious and responsible newspaper, The Daily News believes that giving the explosive nature tribal and primitive discussions could be, and had already been, especially when attached to the political life of a country, anyone, leaders included, who has a habit of pointing fingers at another tribe for not supporting him or her should desist from it.
It is not our intention to mention personalities here, but we cannot do justice to this topic without making reference to that of, for instance, our head of state, who has to be constantly reminded that his definition of freedom of speech is out of place.
For any moment he exercises his version of free speech, especially when he mentions things that should not matter to a head of state, he potentially destabilises the country.
What every good Gambian should understand is that there are several conflicts of interest even from among family members, which cannot be resolved by any sort of benign umpire from heaven, much less by pretending to be the protector of an “ethnic” interest, or even worse, national interest.
There are gender conflicts, even age group conflicts of interest, conflicts of interest between the bullies and humble citizens, between the intellectuals and the licentious, and so forth.
However, a well developed unitary polity with nationally applicable “rule of law”, which is ethnic-blind is certainly the solution. And The Gambia has a constitution, an ethnic environment, which promotes this spirit, rather than so called ‘representatives’ of ethnic interest.
After all, the demarcation of our ethnic differences has taken no political importance to the degree of legitimating claims to rights and resources by one particular tribe.
Therefore, The Daily News is really at pains to understand why ever since our head of state assumes power, he continues to be unnecessarily obsessed about what, perhaps an insignificant minority in a bigger group profess, which in fact neither reflects nor represents the line of thinking, rather than a policy of that bigger group.
It is a common fear among great thinkers, that when a leader of a multifarious society emerges from a group that is deemed to be the minority, there is a tendency of that leader going excess because of his or her micro complex.
However, there were in the past and there are in the present and there will always be those great leaders, who would overcome such a complex and decline to be made to feel unworthy of assuming authority. That is how Gambians want their leaders to be, regardless of their backgrounds.
The Daily News would want to agree with Anonymous that, “Nepotism and corruption are vices every responsible and well-meaning citizen should guard against. So is the incitement of tribal suspicions and grudge. These are such ugly and potent agents of social non-cohesion.”
And that, “any politician or group usurping tribe and tribalism for political gains repulsive and irresponsible and such a person/s do not have any credibility or fit to lead a political organization, more so a nation such as ours.”
Source: Daily News
Tribalism in Gambian Politics
Friday, August 19, 2011
 The issue of tribe and tribalism has been quite prominent in Gambian political discourse of recent, partly due to reckless statements from a good number of our political leaders and commentators.
This is quite troubling considering the fact that this issue is a double-edge sword and rarely has any clear winner in an eventual confrontation.
There has been a wide coverage of the statements made during the President’s recent Dialogue with the People Tour.
Many were quick to scold the Gambian chief executive and his ‘henchmen’ for statements they believe carry tribal connotations and outright insults in regions believe to be dominated by a particular tribe.
The irony is that most of the so-called insolence was uttered by ‘henchmen’ who are from these regions or belong to this particular tribe.
I read a recent article in the Freedom Newspaper jotting down instances of tribally motivated appointments in the civil service and national security by President Yahya Jammeh with the names of persons purported to be of his tribe.
It dawned on me; perhaps these folks are not competent enough to man these positions. After going through some of their resumes I was surprised and quite relieved by some of these folk’s qualifications and work history.
Not because of the tribe they happen to belong to, but as fellow Gambians and their willingness to sacrifice for the greater wellbeing.
The fact remains that for every Jola civil servant overseeing a sensitive public portfolio, there are four others supervising equally sensitive posts that do not belong to the president’s tribe.
Empowering fellow tribesmen is not alien practice in African or Gambian politics. It would not be a stretch, neither hard to reference cases during our first republic where such a correlation existed between a great many public servants heading high profile positions and the tribe they belong.
Nepotism and corruption are vices every responsible and well-meaning citizen should guard against. So is the incitement of tribal suspicions and grudge. These are such ugly and potent agents of social non-cohesion.
This baseless fear and paranoia of the coming of the Jola Kingdom is dangerous and ridiculous and far cry from the anything feasible when you closely look at facts.
Anyone found to be perpetrating the syndrome must be dissuaded from such an act of psychological terrorism.
I find any politician or group usurping tribe and tribalism for political gains repulsive and irresponsible and such a person/s do not have any credibility or fit to lead a political organization, more so a nation such as ours.
The competency and loyalty of all civil servants to our nation should be all of our preoccupation, but obsessing over and politicizing their tribal allegiance is nothing but reverse tribalism and we must all fight against it with a united front.
Author: Mr. Anonymous USA, anonymousdpatriot@gmail.com
Source: Daily News
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