Gambia's Jammeh accuses UK of backing opposition
Wed Jul 28, 2010 7:41pm GMT
BANJUL (Reuters) - Gambian President Yahya Jammeh accused former colonial ruler Britain on Wednesday of backing opposition politicians ahead of 2011 elections, and said the West African nation would not be colonised again.
Jammeh has long been criticised for arresting dissenters, rights activists and journalists. Earlier this month a Gambian court sentenced eight people to death after finding them guilty of plotting to overthrow the government.
In April, the United States and Britain criticised the jailing of an opposition member for using a megaphone at a rally without permission.
"Why are they (the West) not sponsoring the ruling government if they are talking about democracy?" Jammeh said at a rally with thousands of supporters in Banjul, the capital.
Jammeh accused Britain of funding the opposition, but said the opposition would "never" secure a ministerial post because Gambians were not fools.
"I swear that the Gambia will not be colonised twice. Let them do whatever they want to do, but this country will not be colonised twice," Jammeh said.
The British High Commissioner in Banjul could not be reached for comment.
Jammeh, who has ruled the tiny nation sandwiched inside Senegal with an iron fist since a 1994 coup, is due to face elections next year. There are four opposition parties but they complain about harassment and in the last election in 2006 Jammeh won about 70 percent of the vote.
The eight handed death sentences earlier this month included the former chief of defence staff, former director of the national intelligence agency and two businessmen, one of whom is Lebanese.
They are accused of planning to oust the government in a drug-funded plot involving foreign mercenaries. The case followed a waves of arrests and sackings in the country.
The British government and the United States spoke out in April after Femi Peters, campaign manager for the opposition the United Democratic Party, was sentenced to one year in jail for using a megaphone at a rally without permission.
"My message to the West is that if you think that Africans are stupid and you can come and fool us twice, then go elsewhere in Africa and fool them but the Gambia is a no go area for you," Jammeh said at the rally.
(Reporting by Pap Saine; writing by David Lewis; Editing by Alison Williams)
© Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and its logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Thomson Reuters group of companies around the world.
Jammeh has long been criticised for arresting dissenters, rights activists and journalists. Earlier this month a Gambian court sentenced eight people to death after finding them guilty of plotting to overthrow the government.
In April, the United States and Britain criticised the jailing of an opposition member for using a megaphone at a rally without permission.
"Why are they (the West) not sponsoring the ruling government if they are talking about democracy?" Jammeh said at a rally with thousands of supporters in Banjul, the capital.
Jammeh accused Britain of funding the opposition, but said the opposition would "never" secure a ministerial post because Gambians were not fools.
"I swear that the Gambia will not be colonised twice. Let them do whatever they want to do, but this country will not be colonised twice," Jammeh said.
The British High Commissioner in Banjul could not be reached for comment.
Jammeh, who has ruled the tiny nation sandwiched inside Senegal with an iron fist since a 1994 coup, is due to face elections next year. There are four opposition parties but they complain about harassment and in the last election in 2006 Jammeh won about 70 percent of the vote.
The eight handed death sentences earlier this month included the former chief of defence staff, former director of the national intelligence agency and two businessmen, one of whom is Lebanese.
They are accused of planning to oust the government in a drug-funded plot involving foreign mercenaries. The case followed a waves of arrests and sackings in the country.
The British government and the United States spoke out in April after Femi Peters, campaign manager for the opposition the United Democratic Party, was sentenced to one year in jail for using a megaphone at a rally without permission.
"My message to the West is that if you think that Africans are stupid and you can come and fool us twice, then go elsewhere in Africa and fool them but the Gambia is a no go area for you," Jammeh said at the rally.
(Reporting by Pap Saine; writing by David Lewis; Editing by Alison Williams)
© Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and its logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Thomson Reuters group of companies around the world.
Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
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Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7224
512 475 7222 (fax)
http://www.toyinfalola.com/
www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa
http://groups.google.com/group/yorubaaffairs
http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7224
512 475 7222 (fax)
http://www.toyinfalola.com/
www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa
http://groups.google.com/group/yorubaaffairs
http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
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