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Momodou
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 Posted - 06 Nov 2007 : 12:41:54
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FOCUS ON POLITICS
KUKOI VOWS TO RETURN TO GAMBIA WAS THE THREAT REAL?
With Suwaibou Touray
We have been focusing on politics in general and Gambian politics in particular in this column. We have followed the narration of political events from the Pre-Colonial to Post-independence era.
In the last issue we have stopped where we said the opposition to the SeneGambia Confederation continued to build up, pioneered by the PDOIS party; that narrow nationalist feelings were also developing mainly among the youth.
Let us continue from where we stopped.
By March 1988, the West Africa Magazine based in London reported the appearance of Kukoi Samba-Sanyang, the leader of the July 1981 upheaval in The Gambia in a seminar in Senegal. This report created quite a scare when the report mentioned that Kukoi expressed or renewed his intention to return to The Gambia. According to the Nation, that issue of West Africa was said to have been bought wholesale by government to prevent its circulation among the populace. Kukoi’s coming was also linked to Abdoulie Wade, the opposition leader in Senegal at the time.
When Kukoi was asked by West Africa Magazine why he staged the coup in 1981 and whether it was out of political frustration, which necessitated it. Kukoi maintained that it was not as a result of political frustration; that the question was no longer whether they could join a political party and win an election; that their idea was, even if they were able to do things like winning an election, they wouldn’t be able to do much to help the masses because they had to abide by the constitution. Kukoi also opined that what could have happened through elections would have been cosmetic changes in the system; that what they wanted was to make radical changes; that was why they had in fact suspended the constitution in 1981 when they overthrew the Government.
This interview by Kukoi created not only a scare in The Gambia but also criticism from many corners. Foroyaa observed that some of the criticisms seemed to be motivated by a power struggle between MOJA and Kukoi, but said theirs differed from others in the sense that they were not engaged in any power struggle with any party, and had no political grudge against anyone.
Foroyaa maintained that the repeated broadcast over the air linking Kukoi to Abdoulie Wade, who had the support of over 290,000 voters, gave impression that Kukoi too had similar support in The Gambia. Foroyaa also said the revelation of Kukoi’s link with The Ghana Chief of staff and members of Libyan Central Committee also gave impression that Kukoi could be here at any time with the help of these countries; that instead of the state discrediting Abdoulie Wade, the PPP regime was giving Kukoi more importance than one would have expected under the circumstances. “The ruling party which does not sit down to analyze situations and develop correct tactics was bound to take steps which would make them attain the very opposite of what they intended” Foroyaa warned.
But the state at the time must have believed, to a large extent, Kukoi’s pronouncement, because almost at that time, it had arrested one Musa Sanneh, Amadou Badjie, Adrian Sambou and Ousman Sanneh. These people were taken before the court and hearing commenced by 5th and 6th of April 1988. It was during this period when a huge rumour spread that Kukoi and Wade met to agree to overthrow both the Government of The Gambia and Senegal. That belief, Foroyaa said, was promoted mainly by government officials. Reports coming from court were that one Foday Sanyang, a witness, said Kukoi told him of such a meeting. Musa Sanneh also said in court that he was asked by DCP Bah why he didn’t write in his diary that PDOIS was part of the SOFA, so that SOFA would become legal like PDOIS. Many people became agitated and said the state was trying to implicate PDOIS. But according to records, Musa Sanneh said he was dictated to say that but the special Branch officers also denied saying so. Foroyaa called on its readers and PDOIS supporters not to be irritated by what was being said about PDOIS in court; that only PDOIS could trouble itself by engaging in something dubious; that it would be left with the judge to decide. The revelation that the first prosecution witness, Deputy Commander of Police, Demba Bah made in court that in his search of Musa Sanneh’s house, he discovered and took out a Piece of Paper, handwritten in English, Captioned “POLITICAL POWER GROWS OUT OF THE BARREL OF A GUN”. The contents as was read in court reads as follows; “2pm, 17th June, 1987.” Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun”. The time now demands the bullet not the ballot. This has been testified by the fact that for the fifth time now, President Jawara has been returned to power. PDOIS, which is trying to win power through parliament, will not succeed. Before they become successful they will be crushed”. Foroyaa maintained that whether Musa wrote this or not was left to the judge to decide. Foroyaa maintained that they had heard people say that PDOIS would be crushed when it first emerged; that eventually one PPP minister even promised to uproot PDOIS after the 1987 elections; that the minister in fact seemed to be afraid of engaging in debate with the PDOIS candidate for the constituency. They however said to conceive PDOIS, as Lilliputian under the whims of the PPP giant was to be an idle dreamer; that PDOIS was no more a tiny seedling struggling for a place under the sun etc.
DCP Bah also told the court that in Musa Bah’s diary, dated 14 November 1987, he, Musa, stated that he was a PDOIS sympathizer and gave 24 sheets of paper for the publication of Foroyaa. DCP Bah also said in court that Musa noted in his diary dated 17th November, 1987 that he met S.S of PDOIS for the purpose of extending greetings from Dr. Manneh, an alias for Kukoi but that S.S did not trust him.
Foroyaa asked whether S.S knows that he was dealing with a Kukoi agent if it indeed occurred. DCP Bah who was prosecution witness No.1 also said he took possession of a letter dated 28 August 1987 which Musa Sanneh said came from Kukoi through one Amadou Badjie; that it contained instructions from Kukoi for Musa which, among other things to get in touch with S.S and Co. in order to forge a link. DCP Bah told the court that where it is written S.S, Musa told him it means Sam Sarr. Foroyaa maintained that since the court was on, they would not make a comment.
Foroyaa emphasized that if they were to go by the report then it becomes clear that PDOIS was not the creation of an outside force but an independent and authentic political party. It went on to shed light on the report, which stated that attempts were made to forge a link by 28 August but that this had not succeeded. Foroyaa then promised to comment on the many unanswered questions such as whether all these attempts in fact occurred. Was Musa distrusted? And so on. They then invited all Gambians to write and question whatever was in doubt to either Foroyaa or the PPP organ The Gambia Times so that it would be clear that they PDOIS were not sitting on any letters.
Foroyaa continued its analysis and concluded that Kukoi’s insinuation that he was opposed to elections on the basis that if his party won they would not be able to bring any radical changes because they would have had to abide by the constitution is without foundation. The constitution, argued Foroyaa, left room for its alteration; that all that is essential to bring radical or supper radical change was the overwhelming support of the people.
Foroyaa concluded among other things that, the one fundamental lesson that should be learnt is, a person has to accumulate a reasonable quantity and quality of historical and politico-economic knowledge before one can analyze a given society objectively and draw correct tactics and strategies to facilitate its transformation; that those who lack such knowledge cannot guide the destiny of nations. In actual fact, Foroyaa said it would be better for Kukoi to maintain his silence because his interview revealed unbelievable ideological shortcomings.
However the long analysis and criticisms made by the Foroyaa made some Gambians uncomfortable. One Kebba Sisoho in Banjul, quoting from Foroyaa said: in your analysis, you mentioned somewhere that, “criticism of Kukoi’s interview have started to come from many quarters and that, those we have read so far seem to be motivated by a power struggle between Kukoi and MOJA.”
Mr. Sisoho assumed that those criticisms read by Foroyaa were those that came from one Amadou Kabir Njie in Norway and one Tombong Saidy of the USA, because as he said these were the two people who criticized Kukoi in their letters to the West Africa Magazine. He expressed disappointment as to why those two criticisms should give Foroyaa a false impression that they were motivated by a power struggle between MOJA and Kukoi. Mr. Sisoho expressed his concern among other things that; associating them to MOJA may make things difficult for them when they come back home.
See next issue as we delve into issues of mid 1988.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issues
Issue No. 130/2007, 5-6 November, 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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