My Rough Quick Opinion About the Senegal-Gambia, Bullock, Border Issue.

What a world. Should international journalists help prevent wars or wait to cover them? Not getting enough sleep for two nights is not preferred. Woke up to the news that Spain won, so that was OK news against Trump than Argentina. Then which wars are still raging. It seems like we have leaders who want to be worshipped as gods, but they largely act like privileged animals that were obliterated for which crimes? The over 300 idols of Mecca were terrible, but they did not have soldiers who were brutal or acted as dangerous robots… So when will a kind God conquer the leaders or new idols of the world and free humankind? Sudan and UAE+, Iran-u.s, Israel-Gaza-Lebanon+, etc. As if those are not enough, Senegal is arrogantly provoking war against the Gambia? Their soldiers tore down what seemed like a Gambian military fence at Bullock, the Gambia. Although I am not closely following every mediahouse, it seems as President Faye is yet to make a public address on the issue, including an apology. As such, I think all Gambian+ media houses should vigorously expose President Faye and try to make him a one term President, including not finishing this term… The best of Nigerian journalists and every country should write strong enough to prompt their leaders to condemn president Faye, at least privately. Faye does not seem to be a good guy, but Gambian authorities must act with caution. We should help put much more cameras far beyond our borders, but Barrow acts like a deaf person who is obsessed with infrastructure…

We must gather evidence, negotiate a deal, and/or sue Senegal to the International courts, to pay not just the damage, but also compensate for our emotional suffering and the reckless attempts against our lives. Overwhelming camera evidence will also help us convince decent Senegalese to wake up and remove President Faye asap, as a danger to both countries and beyond. Faye is not just trying what no previous Senegalese President did, but recklessly provoking war or civilian uprising against Senegalese in the Gambia and beyond? Faye is essentially trying to spill blood of relatives, as Sene-Gambians are essentially one, but I will not let my closest blood sibling/niece+ destroy my property and the ‘father plays dumb or indifferent? Politicians can be terrible liars and masters of excuses. If we rightly attack him, he may claim he didn’t order it or was endlessly ‘investigating’ to even make a statement for days or weeks? Whereas it is possible that an arrogant low ranking Senegalese started it without the president’s knowledge, quick public reaction matters in such issues. History may be sadly repeating? When some arrogant Senegaleses closed the Sene-Gambian border during president Wade, president Wade was dangerously silent until I wrote a historical article that forced him to speak up from a distance, within 24 hrs of my article’s publishing… A prominent Gambian journalist and others were upset with me, because they sadly saw it as an opportunity for Senegal to take out Jammeh… I do not like wars from afar, and certainly not between Senegal and the Gambia. My point of referencing this verifiable history is for our journalists to force president Faye to speak up asap and act judiciously. If he was involved from the beginning, he must not only apologise, but fire whoever proposed it and his advisors who agreed with it. If he was not involved, he must investigate and fire those involved, including the low ranking soldiers who should have refused illegal orders and leaked it to at least Senegalese authorities they deem better… Again, Gambians+ having great cameras with zooming features could have helped with identifying all the soldiers involved. Regardless of how it happened, president Faye has no excuse for not publicly addressing the issue within hours of hearing or seeing it.

This should be a wake-up call for Barrow. He should seriously consider minimising or removing all Senegalese soldiers from his guards. Although they cannot do more than assassinate him, we do not want any chaos in our precious Gambia. They cannot install a president for the Gambia or forcefully take the Gambia, if Gambians resist. I favor unity, but not through force.

Our media must also send a clear signal to the Senegalese government, their media, and people. I do not like Gambians who are saying ‘Senegal is not our match, militarily’, because a determined small country can fight back militarily and defeat much bigger countries, as history repeatedly reveals. Our message should be: we prefer peace, but we will vigorously fight back where need be. Again, the 1981 coup saw countless Senegalese soldiers dead and that was a fraction of dumb Gambians resisting a righteous intervention. If such Senegalese wrongs repeat, it can lead to war and over 75% of Gambians may fight back in better ways than the 1981 conflict. Only a shameless cowardly journalist will try to poison our mind that ‘Senegal is not our match…’. Instead, you should be saying, ‘we the journalists and writers+ will put down our pens and pick up guns if need be…’ Yes! I am the one with verifiable records of seeking peace, when many Journalists wanted to gamble a war to remove President Jammeh. Yes! I am a Vegan, who does not want to kill even animals, but will fight back even stronger Americans or aliens where I believe I should…

So stop seeing this moment as a weakness of Barrow, but suggest to him where you deem fit. Start blaming President Faye more than Barrow on this matter, and learn the importance of having a strong culture of cameras+ in Senegal and beyond. If Senegal captured recordings of these illegal orders, a good soldier could have leaked it, if good or ok soldiers exist. Which rich folks will ascertain all countries have huge camera stores and other spy gadgets to expose guilty folks? Engage your fellow journalists in Senegal and publicly engage the Senegalese populace that their president is doing unprecedented reckless gamble between the two countries. By the way, the verifiable historical article I wrote was titled ‘Wade’s Inaction is Dangerously Provoking’ and was published by the daily observer. Although the electronic version may no longer be on the internet, a copy should be at the national library. Checking by date, it coincided with hurricane Katrina of the u.s+. I think the journalist Association of the Gambia or who should ‘digitalise’ all past Newspapers for our children or history, not just AI waiting… There is a deep history to that article I do not want to discuss here. Perhaps, I should have written about this issue sooner, but I am neither a formal journalist nor a president. I was confident that other Gambian journalists or writers would handle it right, but I woke up to seeing a prominent Gambian journalist writing on a leaning I do not prefer. So, I started writing a personal post, but God was like : you must write, try to influence the editorials and beyond. Now, I have to choose a title for potential publishing as ‘minor article’ . Otherwise, you can forward within social media. It was not planned and the lack of sleep I lamented may affect the quality beyond Grammar. Please forget your differences with president Barrow, like I ignored my differences with Jammeh then. Choose Truth and Justice even above so-called ‘national interest’ or party interest. Similarly, I expect from the Senegalese journalists. If a big chunk of those close to president Faye condemn the acts and his silence, then such will not repeat. May God bring peace, realize worldwide culture of cameras, and bring much more good for the trying on earth.

By Jarga kebba Gigo.