President Jammeh Addresses Solidarity Marchers in Banjul

By Sailu Bah A solidarity march, in support of the government of President Yahya Jammeh following the 30 December 2104 attack on state house in Banjul, was held on Monday, 5th January 2015, by civil servants and party supporters of the ruling APRC in the Greater Banjul area.The event took the form of a procession along Independence Drive which ended at the July 22 square in Banjul where the participants were addressed by members of the government and ruling party, including President Jammeh. This organised procession followed an earlier one by the members of the armed and security forces at the same venue which was addressed by the Vice President Aja Isatou Njie Saidy and Lt. Gen. Ousman Bargie, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF). Addressing the crowd, President Jammeh said he is thanking the Gambian people for their support as well as the security forces for repelling the attack. He thanked the vice president as chairperson of the National Security Council and the members of the armed forces for their loyalty in fighting against the enemies and defeating them. He said the incident found him in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and that it was around 5am (Dubai time) on Tuesday 30 December when his security knocked on his room door. “I knew it was not a good message,” he said. President Jammeh said they told him that someone was on the line and that it was a call from state house informing him about the attack which was foiled. He said it was not a coup but a terrorist attack. President Jammeh told the crowd that 99.9% of the Gambian people and security forces are in support of him but that it is only 0.009% that are rotten and that he will deal with them. “It is only in the Gambia that coup plotters are sentenced to death, they have gone to the Supreme Court twice, the first time they lost their appeal and they’re given another chance to go to the same Supreme Court to appeal, it’s not going to happen here,” said President Jammeh. He added that he is now going to be “a good Muslim leader who has an eye for an eye philosophy.” “I want to thank all those governments that are true and genuine and sincere and sent letters of encouragement and condemned what has happened. Those who do not wish us well, especially within the sub region, by grace of Allah, the ill will you have for Gambia, before May 2015, which will be my 50th birthday, you will see. May Allah reward every nation according to their wish towards the Gambia,” said President Jammeh. President Jammeh promised that Gambia will soon become an economic super power and the best country in the world. The other speakers at the event, who expressed their solidarity and support for President Jammeh, included Vice President Njie Saidy, Mr. Sulayman Samba, Secretary to Cabinet, Mrs. Binta Sidibeh Jammeh, Executive Director Women’s Bureau, Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, Majority Leader of the National Assembly, Hon. Babou Gaye Sonko, Nominated National Assembly Member (NAM) and APRC National Youth Mobiliser. The Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela spoke on behalf of the diplomatic corps in support of democracy and the right to self determination. The event was chaired by Mr. Saikou Sanyang, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government. ]]>