The fear against the barrel of the gun is the biggest enabler of dictatorships and tyranny in Africa. And who are the elements within our country that are professionally train to lawfully take life, to kill and attend to normal business? The military, hence the British mirror columnist referred to them as “professional killers” Brain Reade.
The threat of the use force, the use of arms against civilians is what has kept Yahya Jammeh and those like him in power. Henceforth, the need to have a security team within our movements and organisations cannot be sidestep or underestimated.
God is my witness, ‘A Gambian soldier pointed an AK47 assault rifle at my face threating and throwing insult. And I was also detained at the Gambia Navy headquarters for close to 1 hour for no reason.’ So The military have a lot to answer for.
People don’t fear Jammeh, they fear the men with guns around him. If highlighting that fact turns you off on my analysis Chris, I will go to bed quiet content actually. At every given elections in the Gambia, the military is mobilise to scare the civilian population. Which ex-Army officer put himself forward to provide succinct backdrop to this behaviour? Now coming to the issue at hand, the abductions and executions of army officers themselves, what credible inside and outside source connections do we have? Mostly, when the boys left the force, they cut off all connections, if not, what is stopping them providing key intelligence as to the madness Gambians are struggling against?
I am aware that we have opinions and views of one another, we came from different experiences and we take stock of one another through varied lenses, some quiet tinted, but such is human nature…
It is not bad to be cynical sometimes, however, on this occasion, far from it. Some of the things I write or comment on are either deep felt or an attempt to create a discussion.
Lucky for you, you have never felt the boots of a Gambian Army personnel. The GNA officers, some of them have stinking reputation of seeing the civilians as their enemies.
If truth be told, Din Din Mansa (The young Mansa) can attest to the excessive power and aggro against civilians by Gambian security forces.
It is the Gambian militia (para military and army) who brought the mentality of intimidating the civilian populace. One would hope, upon leaving the environment which ferments such brutalities against ordinary citizens of the Gambia, the ex-GNA boys will play their part in exposing and ending the state of affairs in the Gambia.
Is this the case Chris? Readership generating has nothing to do with it, if it does, I would have stated “This is the soldier, permission to speak Sir”.
The ex-Gambian army men are largely invisible in all this commotion taking place. Now, we don’t expect them to use arms because, it require a harder efforts. If they can’t stand up and be counted in routine political discourse, what about the arm part of things.
The reason I state categorically that, they are missing in action is thus: ‘one expect the military in Africa as amongst the most organised institution that follows strict codes of conducts and routines’. The military are bind by common brotherhood, and the claim that, they are the defenders of our rights and lives. The time they spend together, is supposed to create a network, where they can be in contact even after retirement. In scenarios as ours, wouldn't that be helpful and eventually a way to save lives if the ex-military officers keep in contacts with serving officers, helping exposing imminent threats to the life of serving or ex-army officers’.
I can be controversial, however, in this case, and many others, I felt that, the ex-Gambia military officers did not and are not making any attempt to fill in the vacuum in helping the civilian politicians and activist end the dictatorship.
I will not indulge in responding to the boys in Green/ or grey.
