Released prisoners
Lang Tombong Tamba and Co after their released from Mile II Central Prison

The Gambian Dictator Yahya Jammeh has done it again by granting what he called amnesty or pardon to his political opponents. However, there is a clear motives behind his recent moved but what is certain is that Gambians cannot be fooled any longer by Dictator Jammeh. This is a news that is welcome because the the families of the released prisoners can now spend the quality time they missed with them all these whiles. But what need to be ask is, why has it taken this long for Jammeh do realise that he needs to do what he has done? And besides this is his constitutional right to exercise every calendar year. Most of the people who were released should never have been in prison in the first place, some lost their lives while in prison, others lost loved ones while been illegally incarcerated and some have been in prison for nearly a decade for doing nothing.  So perhaps Jammeh has realised that he was wrong to imprison them in the first place.

Meanwhile it is clear that Yahya Jammeh is a man not to be trusted as he has continuously lied to Gambians since 1994 and he has declared that he has forgiven and grant amnesty to his perceived opponents in the diaspora. What we need to ask ourselves is, what have Gambians in the diaspora did to Dictator Yahya Jammeh for him to forgave or grant them amnesty? Absolutely nothing, because it is our God and constitutional rights for us to speak our minds and challenge him and his thugs on issues that we disagree. If he thinks no body has the right to speak, then he is mistaken because we have the right to say what we think is wrong in our country.

According to Dictator Jammeh, he wants to open a new page with Gambians but perhaps Jammeh has forgotten that we have been there before but he never kept his words because he is not a sincere man but a pretender. Fortnight ago, Dictator Jammeh announced the released of some prisoners but only to reneged on his words and took them back to prison and many other of his unfulfilled promises.

Now what would it take for us to trust and take Dictator Jammeh for his words? A lot of things indeed and among them are for Dictator Jammeh to release all political prisoners, release the long overdue 10/11 April 2000 student massacre reports and also repeal the indemnity from prosecution he gave to the killers of the students. Furthermore, to repeal all those draconian laws he and his rubber stamp National assembly enacted against press freedom, freedom of speech, association and assembly. Meanwhile, also annul the recent changes to the electoral laws and take necessary steps to make proper electoral reforms that will empower every political party in the country to hold rallies when and where necessary and have equal access to national radio and television services just like APRC does. In addition, with immediate effect stop the culture of fear and intimidation against his opponents. Above all, have a free and independent judiciary which the nation can have confidence in and of course STEP DOWN FROM PRESIDENCY AT THE END OF YOUR SO-CALLED TERM IN 2016. 

Without these changes, the status quo remains and we would know that it’s the same trick Dictator Jammeh has recycled in different format to resuscitate and galvanised support for his much isolated, abandoned and dying regime. We are watching Dictator Jammeh!