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Gambia: Welcome Mr President
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The Daily Observer (Banjul)
EDITORIAL
18 April 2008
Posted to the web 18 April 2008
In a world as intolerable as the one we live in today, it takes a great sense of thoughtfulness to maintain some level of peace. Because of the domineering tendency of promoting individual desires over collective interest, the world has become locked up in a state of war with itself. The situation is so awful that only far-sighted leadership stand the chance of rescuing us from the brink of anguish.
By the look of things, however, this generation of African leaders is ready to do just that. We heard the Sierra Leonean president, Dr. Earnest Bai Koroma, say this during his just concluded visit to the Gambia. The philosophy is that you learn from the mistakes of others and save yourself from making mistakes, which can be costly.
This is a belief strongly embedded in the Gambian philosophy, and its proponent is the country's dynamic leader, President Yahya Jammeh. The friendly people of the Smiling Coast are honored to be at the forefront of this pioneering wind of change that is blowing across West Africa.
Our memories are still fresh with the experience of the last state visit by the Sierra Leonean president. And now, here comes another visit by another icon, from the Republic of Guinea Bissau.
Like the rest of the countries within the sub-region, this former Portuguese colony closely identifies with the Gambia in a host of aspects. The two people are only set apart by distance, but they share the same ethnicity and religion. The ethnic relation, for a great part, is enforced by blood. President Nino Vieira is a man of distinguishable authority in his own right. He is just one of a host of people that symbolizes the pan-Africanist unanimity that binds us together.
Remember the Kabu Empire? It evokes the supremacy of the Blackman prior to the coming of colonialism. The legendary Jankey Walli Sanneh (the great Nyanchu), was perhaps the most popular of the emperors of that great empire that encompassed part of the modern day Gambia. At one point in time, the Gambia and Guinea Bissau shared a single ruler thanks to this empire.
And the great Amilcar Cabral is another idol of the independence struggle of Guinea Bissau, a struggle some Gambians took part in.
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In a way, Mr President of Guinea Bissau is making a home coming. You are so, so welcome. Wish a successful stay.
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