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Momodou
Denmark
11645 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Jul 2007 : 22:13:16
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FOCUS ON POLITICS
1981 POLITICAL CRISIS STILL CLAIMING CENTER STAGE
With Suwaibou Touray
We have been focusing generally on politics and Gambian politics, in particular, in this column. We have seen it as very useful to analyse the history of politics from the pre-colonial to the post-independence era. It is our conviction that young people will learn lessons from these experiences which can help them to avoid the mistakes of the past.
In the last issue, we have been reporting and analysing the issues that arose in the early part of 1983. We stopped at where we said that many had questioned why the president would not, himself, simply volunteer for the Commission of Assets to enquire about his assets. We will continue from there.
Continued from: http://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3935
While the Government of The Gambia struggled to make the Senegambia confederation and its security to take the center stage, the ordinary people were more concerned with how to survive under a prevailing precarious economic situation.
Two developments occurred on the 25th October 1983 and which did not augur well for the country’s economy. The taxi drivers went on a strike in the city of Banjul on this particular day. Rice shortage was also reported on the same day. This development resulted to panic buying wherever basic commodities were discovered.
The taxi drivers complained that the fare of 30 bututs for runs in Banjul was too small and argued that the high price of fuel and the bad state of the roads in Banjul and the Kombos, all went against their favour. The interesting thing was that the drivers went ahead with the strike without the knowledge and participation of their union, the Motor Drivers and Allied Workers Union, which normally should have led the strike.
Mr. Daddy Sowe, the union leader, met the drivers at the Brikama car park in Banjul and urged them to resume work, but it was reported that his request was flatly and unanimously rejected. The drivers maintained that the 40 bututs increment that was suggested by Daddy Sowe was too small. They vowed to continue with the strike if their demand of 50 bututs increment was not met. They told the press that they were afflicted with low fares, low wages, bad road conditions and police harassment. The strike went on for two days before it was called off.
As for rice and cooking oil, the Government or the importing authorities refused to acknowledge shortage. As the Senegambian Sun described it, “It appeared that each time there is a shortage of rice and other essential commodities, there was a boat to blame. This time it was the ‘MV Mayfair’, an ocean going cargoe vessel. The GPMB which was then the sole authority responsible for the importation of rice, indicated that the ship made a breach of contract; that it was supposed to bring 6,500 tonnes of rice from Burma and would arrive not later than 25th October 1983, but that the ship was nowhere in sight. As if this was not enough, an acute shortage of fuel was also reported by about the 11th of December 1983, resulting to serious shortage of transports.”
“BALAMBA” UPHELD
By Monday 3rd October 1983, Gambians were told that their government had objected to the continued showing of a film on the Gambia by a Swedish film maker, one Lars Westman. Many people were not even aware of such a film, but the government’s demand for it to be banned made many to desire to see it.
According to reports, the Council of the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation upheld the Gambia government’s request regarding the film entitled “Balamba”, meaning resistance in Mandinka, because ‘it gives an “unfavourable” picture of The Gambia both before and after the July 30 1981 rebellion’, as argued by the Gambian authorities. The Council’s verdict, however, found the film partial and not in accordance with the rules which regulate broadcasting in Sweden. The film was said to be characterized by far-reaching criticisms against the Government of The Gambia.
The most perplexing development to many Gambians was the circulation of rumours of the continuous arrests of some personnel in the police force and other prominent Gambians. Claims were made that some of Kukoi Samba Sanyang’s colleagues who fled with him, from Guinea Bissau to Cuba, had decided to come back and were helping the authorities. The press became excited when President Jawara invited the media fraternity to a press conference scheduled from Monday 30th October 1983. This was later postponed and rescheduled for Monday 31st October 1983. The arrest of Sam Sarr, a graduate teacher at the Gambia High School and Halifa Sallah of the Social Welfare department who was also the presenter of the famous social education ‘Magi Elek’ Programme on Radio Gambia, was top on the agenda.
As the Senegambia Sun puts it, the press expected a bombshell. According to the Sun the press conference had no theme and revealed no bombshells. The Journalists, however, took the opportunity to seek clarification regarding the arrest of four Gambians and the return to this country of three men accused of collaborating with Kukoi Samba Sanyang. President Jawara’s exact words are as follows: “Halifa Sallah and others have been detained for questioning and I think it is in connection with the events of 30 July 1981”. The president could not reveal any information as to whether the police questioning had revealed anything of substance. On Kukoi’s colleagues, the President was equally brief. His very words were “I know that three of Kukoi Samba Sanyang’s colleagues who went from Guinea Bissau to Cuba with him, infact, at one stage became so disillusioned about the so called revolution and all it stands for that they resigned from his party, deserted him and at the moment are assisting The Gambian authorities with our continuing efforts to get to the root cause of the 1981 coup.”
Nothing was heard again of Halifa Sallah and Sam Sarr, the latter whose home was searched and his wife with a month old baby were arrested together with three other colleagues, namely Adama Bah, Personnel Manager at the Bungalow Beach Hotel (BB), Modou Gaye, a school master and Pa Louis Sambou a school teacher. Sam Sarr’s wife, Mrs. Amie Sillah was the then Senior Health Inspector in charge of the Kanifing municipality. Halifa Sallah was a Social Welfare Officer responsible for Research and Training, and a visiting lecturer at the School of Public Health and Nursing.
All the documents in the possession of the detainees were seized and subjected to five months review by the operatives of the Special Branch Unit of the Gambia Police. The case was claimed by some of them to be the most hectic exercise they have ever been engaged in. For five months the state gave no further explanation as to whether they had got to the root cause of the July 1981 coup d’etat. After six months of detention at the maximum security wing of Mile Two Prison without charge, Halifa Sallah, Sam Sarr, Amie Sillah, Pa Louis Sambou, Adama Bah and Modou Gaye were rushed to court and charged for operating an unlawful society. To the surprise of many, the charge had no link with the July 30th 1981 coup d’etat. Infact, before the case even started for hearing, the state filed a Nolle prosequi motion to discharge the accused persons and release them. It was never explained in a press conference whether the society was unlawful or an underground party waiting to emerge.
The arrest and release of Halifa Sallah and Co. marked the beginning of a new political force in the country which we will look at later, in greater detail.
Sir Dawda did not give the names of those three people who arrived from Cuba. The period also witnessed the arrest and detention of 6 officers.
These include Chief Inspector Shylon, Inspector Juwara, Sergeant Lang Kinteh, Sergeant Mam Malick Sowe, Corporal Waagaan Faye, Corporal Jamanti and a civilian, a Mr. Sosseh Kolley, formerly of Education Department, who were arrested without any official explanation. However, the Senegambian Sun observed that many saw it as what the president described in his press conference as, their (Government’s) ‘continuing effort to get to the root cause of the 1981 coup’. It did not stop there. Furthermore, the forceful retirement of two very senior officers, Commander I.J.K. Tambajang, who was Director of Immigration at the time and F.R.I. Jammeh, commander of the Pioneer Unit, based in Farafenni, on 14 November 1983 also followed. The third senior officer to retire did so on Tuesday 15 November 1983, and it was Inspector Yigo Trawalley. No official reasons were given for these retirements. The forced retirement of I.J.K. Tambajang, particularly, surprised many observers because of the believe that both he and former IGP, A.S. Mboob, had played a crucial role in defending the city of Banjul, especially, at the peak of the 31 July events.
No court cases emanated from the alleged confession of the Cuban returnees. The matter was just swept under the carpet after some months.
See next publication, in this Focus column, as we advance into the happenings of the mid 1980s.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 76/007, 2 – 3 July 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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