Mathew
Your inability to comprehend the human duplicity is what is causing you be tormented with non-existence issues. Mathew remember, people know you off the pages of TheGambia echo and some of your open and blatant tribalism since as a teacher in Basse. Hence your continuous sickness with tribal writings is nothing new. And by the way, having Mandinka friends is not in any way an indication of one's lack of prejudice. So you can only fool people who lack deeper understanding of such issues.
Address individuals whom you may have concluded were tribalist, that way, you will address issues in there rights context. Why haven't you ever labour to show us Fula tribalist? Are you saying there isn't one in the Gambia?
Mathew, what I am defending and shall continue to defend is the foolish fears you created in your sub-consciousness against the Mandinkas. Yes you do write about Wollof Banjulains, but then again is just the Banjul Wollofs that are guilty of public space tribalism?
Since you have an encyclopedic knowledge of every single Mandinka/Banjul Wollof tribalist, why can't you address those people as individuals instead of generalising a phenomenon Mathew himself is full of?
Just because you fail to highlight Fulas who equally played a key role in the independent struggle to the 30 year PPP rule and the current 16 years APRC rule doesn't mean Fulas aren't equally to blame for the mess the Gambia is in.Mathew, did you remember telling a certain former teacher in St georges' that, "taro, taro Lumba bata mayo" the meaning here is whatever you do, you cannot be a Fula.
You made this statement when the mandinka guy propose to Marry a certain Fula girl. Mathew, I am not defending any tribalist, however, when you labour to generalise, I have no option but to challenge you. Generalisations has led to the second world war and many others wars in Africa.
A scholar of your calibre should do more in addressing the issues at hand, remaining with people whom you think are tribalist and then conclude with them. You will not convince any sound minded Fula about the worthiness of your crusade. Seriously, your bringing Kukois Coup etc only expose your deep seated animosity against the Mandingos. Just because Jawara was Mandingo doesn't at all means he benefited them collectively. And your crimes of generalisation will cause offense not just to Suntou, but to thousands of Mandingos who gain nothing because Jawara was the President.
Finally, Mathew, I careless if you direct your venom's at the people you felt wrong Gambians. Many readers know you are stubborn with your stance, however you will find equal match in some of us. We will not sit by and allow your errors to fill the pages of the Gambia Echo. Your statements on Saihou Mballow is for him to comment on. However, The UDP has open its doors to good men like Mballow, he help the party and been help by the party, moreover as far we know, he is still involve in the party in many others ways. I guess your appealing to Fula pride will cause many more offense to the Fula community. Write, criticise the UDP, or Ousainou, but do so within the realms of Gambian politics. If you believe, you can tribally analyse Gambian politics, then do so honestly. equally include the NRP into your analysis as well, hence any generalisation will be ignored.
"For some reason, Suntou has convinced himself that when I write about tribalism relating to the Mandinkas experience, it is fear. Fear of what, might I ask? Are you kidding me? I am an equal opportunity critic of both the Wollofs and the Mandinkas experiences in our country, especially during those dark Jawara years when the Mandinkas wanted it all, and some orchestrated elaborate schemes to exclude everyone else from our nation’s meager resources. And, you wander why, first, Kukoi Samba Sanyang burst onto the scene, and when that failed, Yahya Jammeh came along. Things don’t happen in a vacuum. True the Wollofs were notorious for treating the Mandinkas as second class citizens; Mandinkas too were later notorious for treating everyone else as foreigners in their country. When I was in college, I had no concept of tribalism, and my best friends were Mandinkas for the most part; Sarjo Sonko from Essau, late Lamin Jobarteh from Kaur Janneh Kunda, and Musa Trawalley from Georgetown. Musa and I were so close, I spend Xmas and Easter holidays with his family in Bakau, and we were always posted to the same schools when we were teaching. Everyone understood how so bound together by friendship we were. By the mid-80s, I was no longer naïve, for I had became aware of the tribally motivated rivalries in the country. And I lost count of how many times I heard Mandinkas saying; Gambia mandinkol la banko leti; and ridiculous and irritating as that sounds, some hold on to that stupid way of thinking" Mathew
The above statement is a clear testimony of your generalisation. Any Mandinka who told you what you said is an individual person, deal with that person individually. If you think your brushing everyone with one brush is correct, then you need help. The rivalries you experience has been experience by Mandingos too, so really you are crying about a natural human problem.
In the U.S that you live in, some people experience one form or other unpalatable prejudices. But if those people start brushing every single white person with racist tag, they will be committing serious errors. Similar thing can be said of our country, we will have some Mandingos, Fulas, Wollofs, Jola, Sarahulehs who will be prejudice base on unnecessary reasons. However, should that worry us if there is fundamental cases of the rule of law and due process? No.
There are racist in America still, but why aren't blacks saying we shouldn't live here? Because, the law protects every single person, even criminals are threated according to law. If the Gambia have such laws, I careless about Mathew Jallow's tribalism or anybody else.
I live next door to racist BNP supporters, it doesn't bother me the least. Mathew, you cannot cure the tribalism in Fulas, so why worry about others? Let us call for good governance and democratic norms.
Responding to Saihou Mballow interventions:
Saihou
Thanks for your wise words. However, I felt Mathew's drunkenness with Mandingos cannot be left alone. This is a dangerous strategy that should be tackled. If he name Burama, Dodou or Junkun as tribalist, then it is up to those people to respond to him. But when he sticks his poisonous knife in the heart of every single Mandingo, we will take him on.Why is the Gambiaecho a melting pot of anti-Mandingo vibes? Why?
Did you ever read Mathew saying anything about Fulas? And why is that? Are Fulas so pure they are above the crimes he is labelling against Mandingoes and Banjul Wollofs.How many up country Wollofs are tribalist, How many Sahahulehs are tribalist and etc? If he thinks he is good enough to attack us, let him do the same for every single tribe of the Gambia. We show in Rwanda how small talks like Mathew’s led to full scale barbaric wars. If he continues attacking Mandingos, God-willing I shall respond to him.
This is the same nonsense some former army officers are doing. Actions of Wollof officers are criticise as bad, complicit etc, the same action by a Mandingo officer, pinn, there tribalist watch eyes are wide open. This is utter nonsense.Let Mathew criticise Ousainou morning, evening and night, let him criticise the UDP, we have no problem with that.
Really, his criticisms are welcome, however should he try to cross the boundary and bring in his reverse psychology problems, we will respond to him. Notwithstanding his generalisations, I consider him a good advocate of democracy, however, if he thinks a Fula should be the next president, he should sell that to Gambians in a positive light. I deal with Mathew privately, however, this is a public live subject, our difference of opinion is on matters of principles only. Suntou
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