The Banjul Mafia Used and Destroyed Jawara as They Milked The Gambia Dry and Dumped Him When He was Overthrown-- Now They Have Jammeh, Too!

By Bamba Mass (UDP MILLITANT UK)

Born in Ballajally in the then MaCcarthy Island Division, the Gambia in 1924. Dawda Jawara was appointed Government Veterinary Officer in 1954 where he made many improvements to animal health. After leaving his much loved profession to answer to the call from the protectorate people to become their leader, and as leader of the People's Progressive Party, he became Minister of Education and then Prime Minister, taking The Gambia to independence in 1965. He became President in 1970, a position he held through several elections until 1994. A man well known as committed to forwarding the cases of human rights and animal health throughout his career, he has been awarded a great many honors. He was knighted by the Queen in 1966, made a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1988 and given an honorary Doctor of Laws by Glasgow in 1990.

British colonial policy at that time divided The Gambia into two sections—the colony and the protectorate. Adults in the colony area, which included Bathurst and the Kombo St. Mary sub-regions, This Urban area was franchised well before their counterparts in the protectorate. What this meant in effect was that political activity and representation at the Legislative Council were limited to the Colony (Banjul and Kombo st. Mary). At the time of Jawara’s return to The Gambia, politics in the colony were dominated by a group of urban elites from Bathurst and the Kombo St. Mary’s areas. He became a Christian and became known as “David,” in 1955 married Augusta Mahoney, daughter of Sir John Mahoney, a prominent Aku in Bathurst. The Aku, a small and relatively educated group, are descendants of freed slaves who settled in The Gambia after manumission. Despite their relatively small size, they came to dominate both the social, political and economic life of the colony. It was this class that young David Jawara married into. Many opponents claim that it was a pragmatic, albeit an unusual, fulfillment of Jawara’s wish to marry a well-to-do Anglican woman.

But the people of the protectorates who do not want an urban domination came together and met. Needless to say, at a meeting in 1959 at Basse, a major commercial town almost at the end of the Gambia River, the leadership of the People’s Progressive Society decided on a name change, designed to challenge the urban-based parties and their leaders. Thus came the birth of the Protectorate People’s Party.

In that same year, a delegation headed by Sanjally Bojang, a well-off patron and founding member of the new party, together with Bokarr Fofanah and Madiba Janneh, arrived at Abuko to inform Jawara of his nomination as secretary of the party. Jawara resigned his position as chief veterinary officer in order to contest the 1960 election. In that same year, the Protectorate People’s Party was renamed the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). The name change could not be more timely and appropriate, for it, in principle if not in practice, made the party inclusive as opposed to the Banjulian acclaimed perception of it being a Mandingo-based party. Over time, the PPP and Jawara would supersede the urban-based parties and their leaders. This change is what Arnold Hughes termed a “Green Revolution,” a political process in which rural elite emerges to challenge and ultimately defeat an urban-based political petty-bourgeoisie. Jawara’s political ascendance to the head of the party was hardly contested. As one of the few university graduates from the protectorate, the only other possible alternative candidate was Dr. Lamin Marena from Kudang in the present Central River Region. In fact, some sources indicated that Marena was the first choice for the post of secretary general, which he declined. Jawara’s origin as a member of the cobbler caste was not looked upon favorably by some within the party and the electorate who claimed to want to favor the choice of someone from a royal background. In time, however, the issue of caste became less important, as the 1960 election results would demonstrate.

The mainly Protectorate People’s Party whose members were largely Muslims turned Christian David Jawara a VeterinaryOfficer, to returned to Islam. He obliged and converted to Islam. He then became Dawda Kairaba Jawara. This happened so that the people of the protectorate who are largely Muslims would support the candidate against the more reticent United Party of Pierre Sarr Njie of the United Party who came from the unban capital Banjul who at the time, commanded a lot of support from the chiefs and traditional rulers. There was also the Muslim Congress Party of Alhaji Garba I.M.Jahumpa too an urban Banjulian, and that of Rev. J. C. Faye another Banjulian.

Through co-operation and steadfast organisation, the PPP renamed Progressive People’s Party, through the rural votes mainly of Mandingos, Fulas, Sarahules, Jolas and some Wolof sects called fana Fanas who joined hands with the Aku minority, who had their daughter in former first lady, then Lady Augustus Mahoney to back Jawara to victory. The Banjul mafia and their collaborators within the Kombo st. Mary who had the venom of tribalism in their veins turned in their thousands vying people for P. S Njie and his United Party helped by most chiefs and traditional rulers.

The chiefs and traditional rulers’ dislike of Jawara at the time was nothing other than his lower caste origin. Jawara became victorious and led the Gambians in a rejection of the UN report and independence was granted in 1965 within the Dominion of the British Empire. He was knighted by the Queen and became commonly called Sir Dawda Jawara. In 1970, in a second referendum with an absolute majority, the PPP led The Gambia into its first Republic with Sir Dawda as President and Head of State. With the departure/abolition of the Governor General, the last one being Sir Farimang Singhateh and his deputy, Sir Alieu Jack who later became a cabinet minister in the Jawara Government. Jawara set to task and started confronting what lay ahead.

But the newly formed Banjul Mafia never left Jawara alone as the new state the Gambia was faced limited natural resources, a mono-crop export sector and poor social services. At independence, almost all African countries had evolved economies that were extremely vulnerable and heavily dependent on colonial markets of former colonial powers. But Gambia with no resource to rely on had rough roads to cross. The Banjul Mafia too had their plans!

Their winning strategy was after Sir Dawda reverted to Islam, the Mafia with their connections, had a law was passed in parliament which led to the dissolution of the marriage of Sir Dawda to Lady Augustus Mahoney as she refused to convert to Islam. After this law, the Mafia seize the opportunity by creating their own iner circle around Jawara. The father of late Gambian Rockefeller Ousainou Njie, Alhagie Momodou Musa Njie, a prominent businessman from Banjul, gave his daughter young Chilel Njie to Sir Dawda as his new wife. This new alliance had cut Sir Dawda off from the outside protectorate people.

Those that sacrificed to lead him into victory had always feared urban domination. But little did they know the mafia had their well calculated plans and would now rule them through their own chosen candidate as they now have one of their own daughters eating the young leader’s ears.

As a result the Banjul Rockefeller Ousainou Njie, who is now the president’s new brother in Law and his gang of robbers, became invincible. It was in his tenure as Managing Director of Gambia Commercial and Development Bank that Gambians witnessed massive looting and the eventual collapse of that bank. But nothing happened as Ousainou hadhis sister lady Chilel who had inherited the first dame position there to cover any mafia member who steals from the national coffers. By that time, the likes of Alhaji Garba I.M.Jahumpa of the Muslim Congress Party had disbanded his party and joined the PPP. His children and lady chilel were very close and as he Mr. Jahumpa manoeuvres his way within the PPP to get close to Jawara. He rose through the ranks up to finance minister. With the in-laws of the new president vying for every ministerial post using Lady Chilel anytime the need arise. They called State House their farm and controlled the Ports Authority and all major positions within the new government. As a result, looting of major government institutions like GPMB and many other institutions resulted to a total collapse of the state machinery.Jawara was late to realize as the nation plunged into confusion. At the time, the new president and his cabinet inherited serious problems that were to influence the subsequent course of politics in The Gambia. With a small civil service, staffed mostly by the Aku and urban Wolof.

Jawara and the PPP sought to build a nation and develop an economy to sustain both farmers and urban dwellers. Many in the rural areas hoped that political independence would bring with it immediate improvement in their life circumstances. These high expectations, as in other newly independent ex-colonies, stemmed partly from the extravagant promises made by Jawara and within his party leadership. In time, however, a measure of disappointment set in as the people quickly discovered that their leaders could not deliver on all their promises. And as the realities began to surface, discontents and distrust that existed between the Urban Banjulians and the people from the protectorate became even wider. That was when thing fell apart for the protectorate people with the Banjulians who despised the Mandingos with their slogan “SOSEH DU SOSAL KEN” meaning Mandingos don’t share with none. When in reality they and not the Mandingos failed to learn any other language apart from theirs and English. While the tribe they accused does speak other languages like Fula, Sarahule, and Wolof ect the tribes they intermingled with most.

Many educated sons from the protectorate and at high position were either compelled or free choice probably due to the fact they want to get the new lady in the Manson’s ear, to marry a Banjul girl. The likes of Suleiman Masaneh Ceesay went in for Fatoumata Jahumpa daughter of Alhagie I.M Jahumpa who at the time was girl messenger of lady chilel and a host of others.

People became discontented and when the then vice president Late sheriff. M Dibba’s brother was accused of a minor butut scandal; the mafia went for the kill casting all the blame on the V. president. It became such news that Jawara had no option but to ask Sheriff to resign thus creating chaos within the protectorates. Sheriff resigned and went on to form the National Convention Party (N.C.P.). In another development another Vice president who was sliced by the knife was Hassan M. Camara who too after the 1981 abortive coup was relieved off his post. He too resigned and formed the Gambia Peoples Party (G.P.P famously known as “Jawara Gippoo”) meaning Jawara get down. Bakary B. Darboe too a son of the protectorate was no exception. The Banjul mafia used Saikou Sabally who though himself a son of the protectorate but had been engolved by the mafia thus he married within them against the young Darboe. Jawara yield and Saikou was given the Vice president post while Bakary Darboe known as BB was demoted to finance minister. That was why a day after the July 22^nd coup Sheriff Dibba was coated on BBC focus on Africa programme saying Saikou Sabally destroyed meaning sabally was used by the same Mafia to destroy the soft president.

In 1994 when Jawara was over thrown by the army, he fled to the UK and shook asylum with lady chilel and other members of his family. By that time, Lady Chilel had her plans as she no longer occupied the Banjul Farm State House. While in the UK; sheapplied for naturalization as a British citizen and became successful thus betraying her country. She received a British passport according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. By virtue of her new status as a British citizen, Chilel, who had stayed in the United Kingdom during the entire span of Sir Dawda's eight year exile there, thus as she renounced her Gambianess, the British law requires, she be excluded from benefits accorded her husband and other members of his exiled entourage. But did Chilel really cared now she has nothing to loose as there is someone at the Banjul farm and she cannot marry that new tenant.

But those behind with theBanjul mafia, tried hard and became closer to the new leaders thus convincing them that the Mandingos were responsible for all the corruptions and mismanagements. They circled the new man Yaya Jammeh and convinced him into making strong comments about the Mandingos calling them all sort of names as he was then made to belief the Mandingos were the problem. Because of their misinformation Jammeh cast his blame on a protectorate group called the “Terri Kafo” a group formed not by Mandingos but all educated sons of the protectorate to try counter the Banjul Mafia as the real enemies of the land.

So when Yaya married a girl of the protectorate (a girl from Brikama), the Mafia was alarmed so they tried with their young girls to form members of Tuti’s inner circle so as to try either subdue or destroy her marriage.Coming from a rural background, Tuti Faal was convinced to surround herself with some prominent Banjul women—the majority of whom are either truly light skinned known as the “Half Cash.” or bleached to the core. The likes of Zahra Sallah, Sukai Mbye, Samera Kebbeh, Isha Neneh Balla Gaye. There was only Sifie Aminata Hydara who came from out side Banjul.

They had a well calculated plan and now that Tuti is gone, they have to act wisely or else this new one is different from the cool Jawara and if their plans are uncovered, their cartel would be doomed. As the Wolof said “NDAN KAN NDANKAN MOI JAPHA GOOLO”, meaning small catches a monkey. With that phrase, the Mafia got Jammeh too when they had him bowed to their bait by marrying Miss Alima Sallah, who is the daughter of Alagie O G Sallah, career civil servant since the Jawara era and now Gambia’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The girl’s mother we must remember is Zahra Sallah who at one time was a member of Tuti Faal’s inner circle who after Tuti’s departure from state house, never bothered to contact her ever again as the interest they had in Tuti was their farm State House and Tuti had left that place.

The Mafia can never stop their game. Gambians be aware!

It must be noted I personally have no grudges against any Banjulian or a particular tribe. I just belief in the truth and “truth shall make you free.”

God bless the Gambia!