Gainako Newspaper

� The coup d�tat was outrageous and totally illegal; but the Gambians finally taking charge of their army was
absolutely agreeable. It was the only way we could have salvaged our honor and dignity.� -Rtd Lt Col Sam Sarr

Well Sheriff, allow me to first reciprocate your well appreciated protocol in your opening statement
expressing your admiration of my presentations by in turn saying that the feeling is mutual. I think you
write well and with genuine frankness. I will however try to be very brief this time.

Anyhow in response to your questionnaires, I want to before going into any details point out certain
flaws in your conclusions made out of what I believe was insufficient knowledge of the critical facts
involved. In fact I think your conclusions were drawn more out of speculative ideas than anything
lucidly stated in that rejoinder on Mr. Yero Jallow's exposition. For instance, I don�t think I
mentioned any element of regret for standing by Sabally then when Colonel Jim Shaw tried to
prosecute him at Yundum Barracks. In fact the details of what caused the BATT commander to go
after Sabally were not at all shared in my writing; and without those details sheriff, I am afraid any
conclusion drawn on the embryonic facts given would be a hasty one.

You see, Colonel Shaw despite his vast experience and high rank as a British officer, I believed then
and still believe that he was wrong in going after Sabally in the way he did. I will however share the
details of the first incident with you and let you make your own judgment after weighing the odds
later.

Just after taking over from Colonel Gilbert who had completed an admirable two-year training
mandate in the Gambia in 1990, Col. Shaw started his tenure with some bumpy obstacles. The
dynamics in the Gambia National Army (GNA) had just started to show signs of turbulence in the
wake of the departed Senegalese with some officers so dissatisfied with the insurmountable
command problems that few including me decided to resign our commission..

Yes Sheriff my faith in the future of the army was seriously eroded by my inability to impact any
change over what I knew was an inevitable train wreck ahead. Lt. Momodou Camara, now living in
New York, a sharp and very brilliant officer was successful in getting his wish to go. In my case
however, when I tried to leave, the commander refused to accept my resignation regardless of the
fact that it was my constitutional right to resign as a commissioned officer. When I challenged the
legality of the commander�s decision, he put me through a kangaroo court martial and had me
convicted and demoted. To give you the entire facts behind that story would certainly alter the
brevity I want to maintain this time. The only thing I would add to what I already said is that Col.
Shaw the ultimate adviser to the commander did nothing to correct the obvious mistakes.

Anyway in the case of Sabally, he was deployed to Kudang Camp as the platoon commander. One
day he organized with his men a hunting expedition that unfortunately ended in a disaster. They
walked into a herd of bush hugs and fired at it dropping one with a clean shot. But just when they
were about to reach the fallen hug�s location, the animal suddenly got up and tried to run away. One
of the soldiers out of panic fired another shot that missed the target and killed the platoon sergeant.
By the GNA rules and regulations, the soldiers were not under any circumstances supposed to use
the bullets stored purposely for combat on animal hunting trips. Col Shaw viewed the accident as
another setback to his efforts to run a problem-free army already saturated with troubles.
Sabally, he therefore felt, had to be charged for an unauthorized hunting trip, illegal use of military
arms and ammunitions and some other charges that would have probably cost him his job and sent
him to jail for a long time.

The commander stood by Col. Shaw and the case file was compiled for immediate trial. Anyhow,
just when the commander was about to finish the preparatory phase for the court, I came to learn
that the authority for soldiers at Kudang Camp going on hunting trips using military assault and live
rounds was long ago approved by the GNA commander when his brother-in-law was in command
of that unit. The officer had complained of boredom at the isolated camp and was given the green
light to hunt whenever he wanted.

To be fair to Sabally therefore, I thought punishing him for the act when his predecessors got away
with it was unfair and should not have been a court martial offense, unless the commander explained
why one set of rules could be applied on this case and another to the previous ones. In the end
however, I was able to mobilize the conscientious officers and successfully stood against the court
conspiracy. Sheriff, nothing I did in that case and at that time was regrettable today. Colonel Shaw
was just wrong in every meaning of the word, period. He simply wanted to make Sabally the
sacrificial lamb to tidy up his resume�.

With that much so far, I believe conclusions drawn on what I previously attempted to explain would
be fairer and more realistic now. The second case at Yundum Barrack is more complex but
anchored on similar principles in that Col. Shaw and the commander unjustifiably tried to go after
Sabally�s jugular vein on a trouble that was not entirely his fault.

Let me now look at your argument over the case of the Nigerians. The reason I brought up their
presence in the GNA was the never ending blame people have been directing to us, the Gambian
senior officers for our failure to defend the system from the mutinous junior officers. So all I wanted
to put across was our weak or ineffective positions under the colossal command power of the
Nigerians. However in addition to dismantling the Senegalese and British command and control
strategies, the Nigerians were geniuses in confusing all of us under their command. Between 1992
to1994, they had succeeded in instilling in most of the junior officers that they were more competent
than their seniors without demonstrating any evidence to back that theory. Perhaps compounded by
every soldier�s traditional fixation with jujus and their ability to elevate them above the ordinary,
seniority and respect for chain of command had momentarily ceased to exist. It was open secret that
few days before the coup almost all participants went for counseling and help from different juju or
spiritual advisers. That�s another serious area I may in the future discuss. But the juju phenomenon
was as a critical factor as any major problem was in establishing command discipline.

But actually Sheriff I tried everything to challenge the status quo; and when I could not gain any
headway I tendered my resignation to General Dada the Nigerian commander at the time and opted
to transfer to the police force. They wouldn�t let me go but offered to transfer me to the ministry of
defense away from the barracks life. I was there up to the day of the coup. And while at the defense
ministry I had tried all I could with minimal success to help correct the errors within my reach. I
wouldn�t enumerate the actions I had taken then, but the evidences are there and I believe history
would someday prove me right.

But I want you to remember this as my last statement today, the Gambia National Army
evolutionary process started from a wrong footing with most of its members, officers and other
ranks, joining it with little or no stake in the system they were meant to protect. Children of
prominent Gambians were not among us; as a result, the commitment of the average soldier became
more of how to secure one�s means of livelihood than to fight and defend the system as expected of
us. I even honestly believe that most GNA soldiers wanted to see the end of the PPP regime at the
time of the coup. By then, we were all fed up with one foreign force after another coming to reduce
us into nothingness in the name of giving us a never-ending training rigmarole. The coup d�tat was
outrageous and totally illegal; but the Gambians finally taking charge of their army was absolutely
agreeable. It was the only way we could have salvaged our honor and dignity.

Lt Col. Sheriff Samsudeen M. Sarr (rtd)

...Leadership Failure
.....Questions to Lt. Col. Sheriff Samsudeen Sarr (Rtd)
...................................By Sheriff.................................Posted May 15th, 2007

" Those who do not learn from the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat it. " -- George Santayana

Let me start with a disclaimer: Commander Sarr, I cannot but marvel at your prose. I admire the
crispness of your insights and the concise language with which you articulate your thoughts. I tip my
hat to you for your immense literary prowess. My fondness for your work, notwithstanding, I'm
compelled to point to what I consider errors of judgment on your part during an otherwise illustrious
military career that has witnessed your ascent to the very zenith of the echelon as Commander,
Gambia National Army (GNA).

I should, perhaps, say that in reaching my conclusion as to those two lapses of judgment, I relied
entirely on what has surfaced in your own writings. My observations therefore, should not be
misconstrued as an attack on your integrity or military service but rather, as an attempt at inquiry.

In other words, my queries are meant to highlight leadership lessons learned, if you will, with a view
to averting future mistakes. So feel free, as I'm sure you will, to set the records straight and augment
my (and hopefully every reader's) understanding of what transpired while you were at the helm. Our
dear country (and continent) has notoriously suffered more than it's fair share not only of atrocious
leadership, but also a lack of accountability for leadership shortcomings. Hence, I savor the
opportunity to seek answers of those such as yourself, who have held preeminent positions at the
helm of our nation's affairs.

One of the matters for which I petition you directly involved that infamous nemesis of yours, Sana
Sabally -- another of our former leaders, albeit de facto, of whom important answers are being
earnestly sought. Here are the two incidents in question, as they surfaced in your writings: First, in
your rejoinder to Yero Jallow's call for a South African--style "truth and reconciliation" deal for
ex-VP Sabally, you recounted how Sabally was within a hairsbreadth of being drummed out of the
military, even court-martial, at the urging of his British trainer. As your recounted in your piece, you
interceded crucially to salvage Sabally's career at the time because of the junior officer's outward
piety and decorum.

The fact that you felt deceived by Sabally's masked behavior indicated to me that you regret having
pleaded on his behalf. We all have done things that we wish we hadn't. However, questions about
your judgment arise in my mind in that you'd disregarded or discount the recommendations of a
training officer; one who had been out in the trenches with the trainees; someone who, by dint of the
time spent in drills at "boot camp" with the recruits, certainly knows their characters and
personalities better.

As a seasoned officer, i'm sure you are cognizant of the fact that the toughness of training drills
coupled with the blood and tears of the bushes and battlefield allow for no faking. Training camp
represents make-or-brake moments for any soldier. It sounds to me like Sabally didn't make the
cut, according to the British trainer. By default, real character, or lack thereof, emerges when times
are trying, such as at basic training. While Sabally may have successfully faked it in his capacity as
an administrative assistant at the Yundum barracks, his true color surfaced and was evident to the
British trainer in Kudang, leading the officer to reach the conclusions he did. Why were the officer's
recommendations dismissed so lightly as personal grudge?

One could argue that by keeping Sabally in the army based purely on personal sentiments you felt
toward him, and against the advised, professional opinion of the expert British military trainer, you --
more than anyone else -- helped create the monster that later "terrorized", as you put it, and hold to
ransom the people of our nation. Granted, it might have been inadvertent on your part, and
unforeseeable at the time. However, the consequences of his ascent to power, which was largely
owed to you, would later spell tragedy to so many Gambians -- sad to say, yourself included.

The lesson in this story, as I see it, boils down to this: failure to apply the rules without passion or
prejudice can have deadly consequences -- greater consequences than can even be imagined.
Today the victims of Sabally's well-documented brutality can look back to that juncture in his career
and wonder what could have, should have, or might have, been done to forestall their
Sabally-wrought predicament.

That would serve as little solace to them. It is the mark of courageous and strong leader to let tough
but right decisions stand without favor or fear -- painful and unpalatable as they may be. In allowing
Sana to remain in the force despite his obvious sub-par performance, such leadership was wanting
-- regrettably so and with deadly outcomes. Right decisions, even if they be unpopular, are more
enduring and generally serve the best interest of the greater good; whereas popular, ill-advised
decisions not only are transient, but usually boomerang to haunt and hurt us.

The second of my issues with Commander Sarr surfaced in yet another response article that was
recently published at the Echo. You described your relationship as officers in the GNA under your
PPP-appointed Nigerian superiors as thus: "they appointed us for the duties we performed even
if we were apprehensive about their decisions ; they paid us our salaries and allowances; they
promoted and demoted us; they decided where we should be trained locally and
internationally; they prepared the national security doctrine, the annual training program
and supervise all our activities in the way it suited their objectives; in a nut shell, the lifelines
of our careers were directly wired to their seats" (emphasis mine).

This revelation vis-a-vis your role under the Nigerian overseers, left me wondering: Why, if you've
had so little input/influence, did your conscionably remain in the army? Would it have been more
honorable to resign on principle in an organization where you were treated in such a manner? Did
you just unquestioningly follow orders from the Nigerians? Even when you were "apprehensive"
about those decisions/orders? Was it fear of jeopardizing "careers [which] were directly wired to
their seats"? If so, didn't you feel you owe a higher allegiance to the Gambia, and not those imported
mercenaries? What did you do to change the status quo? In other words, since you decided to
remain in the army, what did you do to effect change from within? You say you were just "captains"
under those "seasoned heavyweights" from Nigeria. How come more junior officers (i.e.
lieutenants) rose above you to change the status quo -- for better or for worse?

I raise these questions, Commander Sarr -- my dear namesake -- not to slight your service or
question your integrity. Far from it! These are honest questions that arose in my mind as i read you
articles. I hope the answers you provide will provide a lesson in leadership to many of the up and
coming generation of young Gambians. I await you response with edge-of-the seat anticipation.

Sheriff
North Carolina, USA

................Mathew K Jallow;
..TALE OF A DISHONEST INTELLECTUAL.
................................By Yero Jallow Associate Editor................ ...May 13th, 2007

While commending Mathew K Jallow for his commentary at the Echo, time and
again, I want to advice him in good faith to stay focused and avoid reducing himself
to be Sana's unethical praise-singer. It is evident from his rejoinders to the ongoing
debate; Mathew tried to use his writing skills to cover Mr. Sabally, and as a result
reduced himself to the bottom of 'junk' journalism.

This is truly intellectual dishonesty. It is not only the language you can script, honesty and maturity
also matters. In the piece that Mathew authored, he referenced Gainako's usage of the word
"Pariah", which to the best of our knowledge fits Jammeh's regime and its accomplices. Mathew's
own attitude to avoid rejoining to the debate at our forum, which was cautioned by writer Cherno
Baba Jallow for trying to silent Momodou Lamin Drammeh at the time, speaks volumes. We at
Gainako make no difference to any of the Gambian forums and online newspapers. We recognize all
of them, and in the past and present, accorded them the respect they deserve. The likes of Mathew,
though, succeeded in sidelining themselves to certain papers, which basically speaks hypocrisy. But
those that don't know Mathew will blame him much. Wasn't he the famous commentator at
Freedom and All Gambian, and as soon as he found convenience at the Echo, then he dumped the
others. We know our brother Sankareh is not responsible for this act. This is typical of Mathew.
Who else could be more selfish and wanting than Mathew?

What I agree with is that Sanna is a Gambian like any of us, and Sanna's freedom of speech must
never be seized. That will violate the very rules for democracy. While there is no fault in Sanna
mourning his former comrade, but I indicated clearly that their alleged misdeeds is worth our salt.
Our editor, Samba Baldeh, one time school mate to Mr. Sabally called on him to tell Gambians the
truth, in which Sabally took to silence.

What kind of democracy is Mathew preaching now? Not even two week ago, he tried to silent one
of his critics, Momodou Lamin Drammeh (NC), and even mocked him with such unethical
arrogance. That's who Mathew is. When writer Cherno Baba cautioned him, he decided to end the
debate, after being found delusional. Even though, Mathew was invited to Gainako clarify his part
through an interview, which he agreed to at first, but later on dodged it. It is Mathew's prerogative,
and he should handle the label tribalist' as was concluded by many observers.

Mathew can scream all he wants, and nothing is further from the truth than his open support of
Sabally's deeds. DA Jawo was right months back when he advised Mathew to keep it ethical. But
once a rebel needing attention, always that rebel.

If people cannot be honest at forum or newspaper level, I doubt they will be honest in their personal
lives. We should be careful of such people, like my good mentor, Professor Quinton Cummings
once said "They speak to you like angels and they behave like stupid human beings." The
crusade is not only for the likes of Sabally, alleged to have executed Gambians, but such dishonest
intellectuals and half-baked intellectual actors must be completed weeded out without fear or favor.
Until then, the Gambia stand a risked of repeated history of bad governance.

With due respect to Mathew, let him give us a break on his cooked tales of intellectual dishonesty
and abetting alleged criminals. I like most of your commentaries though, except for the fact that you
labeled the Foni Jolas as killers in a poem, which you should also apologize for.

I rest my case until I hear from you.

Yero Jallow
Minneapolis, Minnesota

.........POLICE BRUTALITY ?
......Gambian Youth Dies During Police Raid
....................................Courtesy of Foroyaa Newspaper ...May 12th, 2007

How Did Sheriff Minteh Die? Further Investigation Needed!

How did Sheriff Minteh die? Was it by accident while trying to escape from
the police or was he stabbed? According to the certificate of death issued to
the family Sheriff died of �cardiac respiratory arrest due to severe haemorrhage
in the pelvis, rectum of pelvis viscera due to deep stab wound.�

However, according to a press release issued by the police, �In pursuance of
Sheriff Minteh, the deceased fell on an iron sustaining injuries on his groin.�

Does this suggest that Sheriff sustained injuries accidentally while running away from the Police?
Don�t the Police need to do further investigation to ensure that medical evidence corroborates their
position? The police are expected to proceed with their investigation without favour or ill will.

Needless to say, Section 18 (1) of the constitution states: �No person shall be deprived of his or her
life intentionally except in the execution of a sentence of death imposed by a court of competent
jurisdiction in respect of a criminal offence for which the penalty is death under the Laws of The
Gambia��of which he or she has been lawfully convicted.�

BOY, 20, DIES; PANDEMONIUM ENSUES

Reliable sources told Foroyaa that Sheriff Minteh aged 20 met his untimely death after a brawl
involving him and the security agents. The said incident occurred at Serrekunda, London Corner, on
Wednesday 9 May at about 22:00 hrs.

According to the brother of the deceased, (name withheld) he came out to buy cigarettes and found
some boys being searched by PIU and plain clothed officers. He said that he later heard people
shouting �they have stabbed Sheriff.� He said that he rushed to the scene and found Sheriff lying on
the ground and a mob beating the suspect (a security agent). He added that he then rushed to the
Serrekunda Police Station to report the matter. He said that upon his arrival at the scene with the
police in two pickup vehicles they found the mob surrounding a compound where the suspect was
said to have entered into and sought sanctuary. He said that the police used force to rescue the
suspect. The suspect was taken to an undisclosed location.

The neighbours said they can identify the two police vehicles. They claimed the registration numbers
of the vehicles are BJL 2394E and GPF 10. Neighbours added that on Tuesday night they
witnessed the same incident when the PIU and plain clothes officers came to their area, and
searched the boys who sat at the junction and that some of them were seriously beaten and arrested.
A sister to the deceased stressed that she came to the scene and found his brother lying on the
ground saying, �he is the man who stabbed me, don�t let him escape.� She also added that the day
before, PIU and plain clothes officers were at the place beating and arresting boys and later whisked
them into a waiting �gele-gele.� A close friend of the deceased told Foroyaa that he was with Sheriff
when they saw the police pickup vehicle approaching them. He said that Sheriff ran towards his
house and was pursued by the plain clothes officer. He said that he also ran after them and found
Sheriff on the ground and the officer sitting on him. He added that Sheriff was telling him that, �he
stabbed me twice, please don�t let him go.� He lamented that at the moment, the suspect was
asking, �where is the money and the mobile?�

According to family members, Sheriff was stabbed on the buttocks and on the groin. They said that
he was rushed to Serrekunda Health Centre where he died upon arrival before being taken to
RVTH. The death certificate indicates that, Sheriff died of cardiac respiratory arrest due to severe
hemorrhage in the pelvis, rectum of pelvic viscera due to deep stab wound. The community of
London Corner and Bundung expressed concern about the heavy security presence in their
community all these days. Residents of the area are emotional following the untimely death of the
young boy, who was described by many as a talented footballer.

YOUTHS CLASH WITH SECURITY OFFICERS �12 ARRESTED SO FAR�

On Thursday 10 May 2006 the people of Serrekunda were woken by burning tyres with road
blocks by youths who claimed that the previous day, the members of the drug squad stabbed and
killed one Sheriff Minteh.

The youths came out with banners carrying slogans, saying �The police are killing the youth!� �Drug
squad stop killing!� They were also followed by a group of women who tied red cloth on their heads
saying �They are killing our young ones!!�

When the group reached around the Bambo Car Park they were intercepted by armed Police and
Army Officers who clashed them, firing tear gas for them to disperse. One young man who was later
identified as Omar Ngum was butt struck by one army officer on his jaw and started bleeding from
his nose. He was rushed to Serrekunda Health Centre. Another young girl Yamundow Nying was
also badly beaten by the PIU officers, before being butted with the gun upon which she fell on the
ground and was handcuffed and taken away.

The pandemonium paralyzed business in Serrekunda as all the shops were closed including the
Serrekunda market.

POLICE PRESS RELEASE

1. The office of the Inspector General of Police wish to inform the public on the incident that
happened at London corner, Serrekunda between the hours of 19 hours to 20.00 hours on
Wednesday May 9th 2007.

2. The divisional Security Task Force was responding to a tip off that some groups of youths at a
particular Street in London Corner Serekunda are smoking Canabis (Sativa) Jamba.

3. This youths are also accused of Robbery and provoking passers by. Upon arrival at the scene. 12
people were arrested with bundles of suspected canabis and other group members started running.
In pursuance one of the suspects Sheriff Minteh the deceased fell on an iron sustaining injuries on his
groin.

4. This Sheriff Minteh was rushed to Serrekunda Health Centre and later to Royal Victoria Teaching
Hospital were he was pronounced dead.

5. The Police jointly with the Security Agents are investigating the matter. Therefore, we are
appealing to the public to be calm and to restraint from any activity that would jeopardize the
investigation. Let there be no panic as the situation is under control.

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