A recording of a person calling for a Rwanda type uprising is circulating like wild fire. Interestingly enough, the gullible are beginning to react to it and thus give it credibility. They are not even asking whether there is any Gambian who is ready to answer to the call of the imagined agitator. People in The Gambia are going about their business. Debates are being held on the results of the election but nothing shows that the average Gambian in the village and town are preparing for civil war against each other.
One fundamental lesson to learn is that there are individual agitations that are isolated incidents and mainstream agitation that could spark a prairie fire. It should be noted that individual agitation which is a remote intervention by desperate persons should not be given much importance and recognition to the point of making the issues a national one.
On the other hand, mainstream agitation could come from a religious or ethno-linguistic group that should lead to social strife. Such agitation should receive the attention of all those who want to maintain national integrity and cohesion.
We therefore hope that all comments made by individuals should be downplayed and given no dissemination to the wider public.
