Jammeh’s properties appear to be guarded by Gambian security forces. The way the political impasse came to an end in The Gambia is somewhat miraculous. This is why some people tend to forget what had really happened.
Two scenarios were possible. The Gaddafi scenario where war will break out and the army split into warring factions that will fight to the finish. In that case, The Gambia would have been like Somalia where foreign forces will occupy one side while warring factions will occupy the other side.
If this happened we would not have had people occupying ministerial posts and presiding over stable institutions. We would also not have had a national assembly.
Fortunately negotiations led to the acceptance by Jammeh to leave the country in peace. He has gone with his entourage comprising even his mother and others. Their properties are left behind.
These properties appear to be guarded by Gambian forces and people who wish to enter the properties are often required to have legal authority to do so. This safeguards the image of the state as a respecter of due process of law.
It is important not to classify those who guard these properties as Jammeh loyalists. The incident which led to the injury of three Gambian soldiers in Kanilai should be avoided. A new Gambian should emerge both in civil society and the armed forces who is determined to build a new Gambia where each would feel a sense of belonging. We must not live in the past. We must prepare for the future. Jammeh is gone. The state should manage his case and not allow it to lead to division and hostility and that would have far reaching impact on national unity and the future progress of the country.
