Ten years ago, in December 2014 a group of patriotic Gambians whose conscience were pricked by the barbarity of Yahya Jammeh’s APRC tyrannical regime, took it upon themselves to stand up to end the brutal dictatorship of Yaya Jammeh against their fellow Gambians.
Unfortunately, on that fateful day three brave sons of the Nation Colonel Lamin Sanneh, Captain Njaga Jagne, and Private Alagie Jaja Nyass paid the ultimate price. Ten years on, a grateful people remember these great sons of The Gambia. We honor their ultimate sacrifice, and we pray that they continue to rest in peace. Indeed, many have given some, but these men among many gave all.
During the 22 years of struggle against Yaya Jammeh’s brutal dictatorship, many Gambians were brutalized, tortured, and even disappeared, among them were those who had a clear conscience for justice and freedom who stood up in different ways to fight against the tyranny of Jammeh to free the Gambian people.
During his iron fist misrule, not only did Yaya Jammeh effectively make democratic and peaceful change risky but also made the exercise of basic human rights guaranteed in the Constitution a dangerous affair for everyone. By effectively controlling the Judiciary and the Legislature in total contravention of the separation of powers and the rule of law as enshrined in the Constitution, Yaya Jammeh made the due process a sham in the Gambia.
Political opponents were either attacked by his thugs or faced arbitrary arrest, detention, enforced disappearance, torture and even death for merely participating in politics. Journalists were assaulted, tortured, and killed while media houses were arbitrarily closed for merely doing their job in promoting divergent and dissenting opinions. Scores of Gambians including politicians, journalists, activists, farmers, teachers, businesspeople, and indeed ordinary people were forced to flee the country or go into self-imposed exile or stay silent in their own country to save themselves from his regime.
Even when Gambians voted in December 2016, Yaya Jammeh rejected the results because he never recognized that the source of his authority and power as president were derived from the people. It had to take the collective stance of the entire international community led by ECOWAS and Senegal to militarily force him to leave power. Practically, Yaya Jammeh left Gambians with one choice; to submit to him or face the consequences. No dignified and sovereign people should succumb to tyranny.
It goes without saying that Yaya Jammeh was indeed a typical dictator who only submitted to democracy when it favored him, otherwise it was his way or the highway. Through various peaceful, nonviolent, legal, and democratic means, Gambians have sought all avenues to exercise their constitutional and democratic rights to hold him to account to no avail. In every effort, our people paid heavy costs for standing up for democracy and against the tyranny of Yaya Jammeh.
The hopes and aspirations of all those who stood up and joined the fight against Yayah Jammeh was to build a better Gambia; a Gambia where leaders put the interest of the people first; a Gambia that will implement institutional reforms to strengthen our democracy and the rule of law. A Gambia that will fight corruption and instill good governance and accountability across all institutions and society at large. A Gambia where leaders will put the interest of the people before self interest and use the resources of the country to improve the lives of the majority of Gambians.
Today, we remember not only Njaga, Lamin and Jaja, but also all those Gambians who laid down their lives to free the Gambia from tyranny. We call on all Gambians to continue to seek a nation that thrives on the respect for human rights and good governance with an accountable leadership that is law abiding. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
Adieu Lamin Sanneh. Adieu Njaga Jagne. Adieu Jaja Nyass. May your gentle and kind souls continue to rest in perfect peace.
