The Daily Observer (Banjul)
Pa Malick Faye
3 July 2008
President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, has given the june 27 Presidential election run-off in Zimbabwe a clean bill of health, saying "Zimbabwe's election is valid". The president, in addition, branded the leader of the main opposition MDC, morgan Tchangarai, as a "blue-eyed boy" and "puppet" of the West, emphasising that Zimbabwe will never be colonised again.
The plain speaking Gambian leader made these remarks in an interview with newsmen at the airport, upon his arrival from the 11th AU summit in the Egyptian Red Sea Resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, which lasted for two days.
According to Dr jammeh, the summit was not diversive on the Zimbabwe issue but rather showed African leaders working for the continent's interest and those who are for West. He added: "The pronouncements of major Western media before the summit was what those representing Western interests came with, but they have regretted it'.
The Gambian leader made comparison to an election recently held in an Eastern African country, which was described as not free and fair by all institutions involved in the process, yet the West decided to be mute about it. the aftermath of that election was marred by violence during which many were killed, thousands displaced and the end result was a unity government.
To him, Africans accept mugabe's re-election, because it was lawful as the country's laws do not ban elections if a party decides to boycott.
Hypocrisy
Dr jammeh again made reference to an event in a country in the Horn of Africa, where opposition protesters were shot and killed with impunity. he added that the government went to the extent of refusing to release the dead bodies unless the relatives paid for the bullets, but yet still the West made no noise, because that government was serving their interests.
"Why Zimbabwe?" he asked. "Because the whites are involved," he said, answering his rhetorical question. he observed that the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe was not Mugabe's making, but the West's just because they want to effect a change of goverment, which will be ruled by their puppet.
Dr jammeh wondered why the West during the first round of the election decreed the process foul only to endorse it when the MDC emerged as the winner.
He agreed with President Museveni of Uganda that elections cannot be free and fair, when the opposition are backed by external forces to destablise a country by launching attacks on ruling party supporters and use NGOs to induce the electorate.
Inclusive Government
To Dr jammeh, president mugabe can accommodate "nationalists" and "patriots" who have divergent views with him but have the country's interest at heart. But the decision for that mechanism to be in place lies with the government and people of Zimbabwe.
Prosecuting Mugabe
The Gambian leader called the Western ploy to prosecute President Mugabe on the pretext of misrule as "free, fair and fine". But questioned why they are not calling for the prosecution of the then white minority government in Zimbabwe and South Africa, where they carried out mass killings of Blacks, which was stopped by Mugabe and his fellow nationalists.
He added that today, the perpetractors of those crimes are living freely and no one is calling for their prosecution.
"We Africans should learn a lesson from this. They (the West) think they can dictate to us (Africans) and this is not acceptable. Africans should stand for Zimbabwe. After all what did the West did for Africa?," he rhetorically asked.
The Theme
Commenting on the theme of the summit, which was "Meeting the Millennium Development Goals in Water and Sanitation", Dr Jammeh said sanitation is the problem in Africa and not water. "Leaders have realise that collective approach at continental level will enable the continent to meet the MDGs in 2015," he added.
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the situation in zim needs better understanding . we need long term future for the next generation. your mugabe is looking on his pocket not the country's future. we need better leadership and freedom.
The Gamgian bastard knows nothing about how we Zimbabweans are going through. All I can sa is beche ramai vake, msunukhanina.
As a Gambian, i almost cried reading the comments from Jammeh. To see the collective sufferings of fellow Africans and for that to be trivialized and brushed off, is beyond comprehension. The time will come when both men will have to answer to thier inhumane treatment of their citizens that they swore to server and protect. God help us all from Dictators like Jammeh.
What do you expect to hear from someone who claim to cure AIDS? Unfortunately, African have been lead by miscreants and sadly so when one considers the enormous talents in the continent. If after 28 odd years leading a nation and you end up with the situation where your own citizens are fleeing their country, then it is time to consider your role as a leader.
Just as you rightly asked what to expect from a man who claims to cure AIDS, this man is a psychopath and I am not all surprised by his utterances.It is rather embarrassing for our continent to have such a leader in our midst.
What do you expect to hear from someone who claim to cure AIDS? Unfortunately, Africa have been lead by miscreants and sadly so when one considers the enormous talents in the continent. If after 28 odd years leading a nation and you end up with the situation where your own citizens are fleeing their country as a result of hunger caused not by a natural disaster, then it is time to reconsider your role as a leader.
Either Jammeh was misquoted or if he truly said these words then it goes to show how the average African leader is out of tocuh with reality! If I were to list the most respected leaders in Africa, Mugabe and Jammeh would be at the bottom of the list! Shame on them!
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its a same for jammeh to make comment like, that, the world has seen whats going on in zimbabwe. i can say this make me scared cos jammeh can turn like mugabe,just to stay in pawer. even when people dont want him. thats how far this pawer hungers can go.lets all try and stop mugabea killing his own people.