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Momodou
Denmark
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 Posted - 10 Jun 2007 : 16:47:29
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FOCUS ON POLITICS
JULY 1981 POLITICAL CRISIS
WAS IT FEDERATION OR CONFEDERATION AGREEMENT BEFORE INTERVENTION?
With Suwaibou Touray
We have been focusing on politics in general and Gambian politics in particular. This is why we have started to analyze the political evolution of The Gambia from pre-colonial to post-independence era. In the last issue we have analyzed the coming of Sir Dawda and the exiting of Kukoi Samba Sanyang after a serious blood bath. We have stopped where we quoted Mr. Sam Jones, editor of the Outlook Newspaper as saying, “Sir Dawda by now knows that his enemies know nothing about him as much as his friends do.”
Let us continue from where we have stopped. Continued from: http://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3791
By this period, the population of The Gambia according to statistics stood at 700, 000 people. Jawara who had refused vehemently since 1964 not to have any such collaboration with the Republic of Senegal because of the fear that the little Gambia may be swallowed up by its neighbour, now invites President Abdou Diouf for what the rumour said was to establish a federation of the two states.
Many began to speculate that the Senegalese did not come for nothing; that they did not come because they cherished the good neighbourliness of the Gambia or that it was the sheer love that President Abdou Diouf had for The Gambian President etc. speculations became rife especially within the cycles of the Opposition that Jawara had infact sold the tiny Republic to Senegal just for the sheer love of leadership.
What must be understood is that by this time, the Gambia was still not seen to be stable. Rumours of Kukoi’s return were rife and guns abandoned by Kukoi’s combatants were being discovered by people around the month of October, two to three months after the crisis.
For example, by 28 October, the day the schools reopened from summer holidays, the children of Crab Island School discovered a gun believed to be a rebel’s gun at a classroom corner. The police were called to investigate and according to Outlook, the gun was said to be on guard position. The police investigator released the trigger, bang! It went off, a live bullet.
KUKOI RENEWED HIS THREAT TO RETURN
As you can imagine, this had created renewed alarm. But this was not all Kukoi was also interviewed by a foreign media where he refused to divulge how he escaped from The Gambia. He however asserted that that would remain a secret because as he said it would be by the same way he would one day return to The Gambia to finally achieve his goal, ie, the overthrow of Jawara’s Government.
President Jawara was however busy consolidating his grip. He was not taking any chances. This was why even though the NCP leader, Honourable Sheriff M. Dibba and two of his colleagues had resorted to the supreme court for redress by summoning the IGP to release them from detention; Even though the court which did not allow any audience and held in camera eventually granted their request, they were re-arrested immediately after their release and taken to the Bakau Depot for their continued detention.
It was about this period when for security reasons, something must be done about Mustapha Danso. Some said they have heard information that the President had pushed the court order to hang Danso to be the responsibility of the Attorney General M L. Saho, to make the decision to execute Danso at the gallows. But M.L. Saho, the Attorney General vehemently denied the rumour saying he too is a human being. But shortly after this, a Gazzette was published to that effect. That was the time radio Gambia announced the death of Danso thus confirming radio Senegal’s broadcast of his hanging.
Tension continued to rise. The Attorney General had to take another resolution in the house on November 10th 1981, to tighten what records called “the bolts” in the prevailing laws of The Gambia regarding the special Courts Act. The resolution tended to widen the powers of the courts by empowering them to try all cases of whatever nature brought before them without any reservations.
According to reports, many people were scared stiff of the return of Kukoi, to The Gambia; that they felt that rigorous investigations should be made to unravel the many hidden things and bring them to light. According to reports, there are many innocent people who were in detention but equally many guilty people who were at large pretending to have been loyalists to the president. At this stage, many were still frightened to even step out of their compounds. People had to continuously be informed of the curfew, that anyone found flouting it would be severely dealt with. According to Outlook, when people are caught they were given what is called a “good hiding.”
As you can see, the fear of Kukoi coming back and the determination to root out all signs so that nothing of the sort happens again must have driven Jawara to agree lastly to the idea of a confederation at about mid November. It was also said that Jawara initial acceptance for a federation was discouraged at cabinet level. President Diouf and his wife touched down at the Yundum International Airport and received a tumultuous welcome from thousands of both Jawara and his Diouf’s supporters. This was not surprising since it was this man who restored Jawara to power. The two Presidents immediately headed to a rally at the then Marcarthy Square and gave speeches alluding to the setting up of a confederation whose details were not mentioned. It was these speeches according to critics which clearly showed the ulterior motive behind the Senegalese Intervention. The two presidents then boarded the M.V Lady Chilel and toured the provinces. And on the 14th of November, they simultaneously declared the two Republics as the confederated states of the Senegambia at a close border provincial town of Farafenni.
According to Outlook, the belief was that the confederation was to solve once and for all the problems of the Gambia being unable to take care of its own security.
Secondly, it was felt that Senegal pushed The Gambia into a confederation knowing fully well how desperate the Government was at that material time or that Jawara was so desperate for Diouf’s help that he accepted the arrangement without reservation.
So the question was should The Gambia venture into a confederation without a referendum to seek for the consent of the people on the issue?
According to reports outside The Gambia the Senegalese Daily, Le Soleil, asked President Jawara whether in his opinion there was no need for a referendum by the two countries because of the sovereignty of each country which was interfered with, Sir Dawda in response maintained that there was no need for a referendum on the issue. He however was quick to say that he was going to Dakar for further discussion and the signing of what he called “important documents” with President Abdou Diouf. Reports further indicated that Jawara compensated Senegal seven million dalasi for their intervention in The Gambia. It is speculated that Senegal lost over 200 troops in the crisis which needs compensation to their families.
By November 23, Jawara told journalists in a Press Conference that The Gambia is a Sovereign State, that the only difference is that certain alterations were made for the better security of The Gambian state; that a formal unification of certain functions of the two countries, shall be spelt by the declaration of the new confederated state, but that it was expected that new institutions combining the main functions of the two countries into a single unit are being worked out.
He finally said the Permanent President of the confederation was Abdou Diouf and the Permanent Vice President was Alhagie Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara.
See next issue for more on the aftermath of July 30th.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 63/2007, 1 – 3 June 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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