Gainako Newspaper

Lieutenant Colonel Samsudeen M. Sarr was born in the Gambia in the 50's.
He first started his career as a school teacher before enlisting in the Gambia
National Army in 1986. For thirteen years he had served as a commissioned
military officer and ultimately became the commander of the army before he
was unceremoniously retired by the country's president in 1999. He has since
immigrated with his family to the USA where they are now living permanently.

"Coup de tat by the Gambia National Army, July 22nd 1994" is the
author's autobiography chronicling the events of the title and its impact in his
life. It is a story filled with lessons about Gambian history with a special focus
on the genesis of the Gambian Military. For complexity, Lt. Col. Sarr alternated his story in the early
chapters between scenes in the Gambia and his struggles to obtain political asylum in the United
States of America. The book also revealed recollections from his childhood to educate his readers
about certain social and spiritual beliefs and traditions in the Gambia.

After the first few chapters, which set up the coup and established his thoughts about it, he further
provided a detailed history of his personal life up to the time of his enlistment in the Gambia National
Army. There he discussed his first days in the USA in the early 80's sequentially focusing on life in
the Gambia before, during and after the coup.

The book is intended to be instructive and educational to readers interested in, among other things,
the background of the Gambia National Army and current APRC government headed by President
Yaya A. J. J. Jammeh since July 22nd 1994.

The Book is Published by Xlibris and can be Order from your local bookstore,
call 888-795-4274 ext. 7876, or order online at www.xlibris.com, www.bn.com,
www.borders.com, or www.amazon.com
ISBN13 Hardcover: 978-1-4257-6113-4
ISBN13 Softcover: 978-1-4257-6111-0

CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS HITS GAMBIAN
...ASSOCIATION IN MINNESOTA
.......................By Yero Jallow.................June 19th, 2007

Minneapolis (MN)-Last week, June 9th 2007 members of the said Association
gathered for their quarterly general meeting. In his opening remarks, the current
president Mr. Dawda Sowe expressed delight in having the gathering at the
newly acquired resource center.

Among the things discussed was the newly acquired facility for the community
which is at service to all Gambians in the area, member contributions and the
way to unify all Gambians under the umbrella of the Gambian Association. It is said that the new
facility located in the heart of South Minneapolis will work with Gambians in the area in many areas
of need; employment, legal advice, recreation, and a lot more.

During the meeting Mr. Lang Dibba, former president of the said association used the occasion to
submit the 501( c) document which finally ended a long time wait of a promise he made to the
association years back.

Detail financial reports were filed by the auditor Mr. Wuyeh Sanneh and authenticated by the
association�s treasurer, Mr. Lamin Komma. The said report also indicated that the association is in
good financial standing but the amount less than what was handed over from the old executive,
however the auditor did account for all the lapses.

During the process of a long meeting, certain stipulations in the association�s constitution were
widely criticized. In a scale, 97% of attendees would have voted against the said stipulations which
brought rage and counter attack from the floor with the committee members. The committee
which seated itself so disgracefully, defenseless in the front didn�t have it their way, as the whole
floor was loaded with one voice.

Anonymous members who spoke with this reporter expressed dissatisfaction over the new
association�s take on things. �They failed us totally. They showed no concern at all.� said one
critical attendee whose relative is a victim of the new law in the constitution. �No one should be left
behind. We should make sure all are equally represented.� Fumed another one.

At the end of the meeting, it wasn't clear if the committee agreed to meet and repeal the said
stipulations now that all the community is firing at them in that manner. Some other long time critics
also communicated to Gainako, and they argued that the new committee should be tasked to either
serve effectively or resign their positions in good faith.

The meeting was chaired by Mr. Lamin Dibba alias Pap who doubles as the vice president of the
association.

..............Interview
....... YANKUBA JAMBANG
..........FOUNDER - Senegambia Newspaper
.............................By GON..................June 18th, 2007

In this exclusive interview with Gainako on-line Newspaper (GON) former freedom
newspaper co-editor and now founder of the recently lauched senegambianewspaper.com
Mr. Yankuba Jambang speaks about his humble beginning, his new venture, its purpose,
promise and the reasons why he quits the freedom newspaper.

(Below we reproduce the whole exclusive interview.)

GON: Mr. Jambang first of all the staff of Gainako wish to congratulate you on
the launching of Senegambianews.com. For those that do not know you, please
describe yourself?

Jambang: Thanks for welcoming me. Well, I am from Kembujeh village in Kombo Central. I went
to Kuloro Primary School in Kombo East then to Kinderdorf Bottrop Technical High School in
Brikama and later to St. Augustine's in Banjul. Upon completion of my A' levels, started freelancing
for the Daily Observer newspaper and in 1998, I began filing news items with Citizen FM radio in
the Gambia.

GON:: Please tell us about senegambianews.com? Its purpose and promises? In order words, what
will the audience expect from your website?

Jambang: Senegambianews.com, like other existing online papers, is out to give readers multiple
choices. Freedom and democracy are about enlarging people's choice and, I want to offer the online
readership a different taste in my layout, content and presentation. The paper is very young at the
moment but I am planning to make this one of the most resourceful sites on Senegambia and its
people. I am still working on some other things.

GON: Who are your target audience and what difference do you hope to make by this new
venture?

Jambang: All those interested in developments in the Gambia and Senegal and Africa as whole.
You may not believe this but in just seven days I am able to have readers from Ghana,
Guinea-Conakry, Liberia, Scandinavia, Europe including Spain, Asia, etc. Thanks to the Gambia
Echo and your paper, Gainako.com for carrying my press release.

GON: You once served as the associate editor of the website Freedom newspaper prior to your
sudden departure last month. In your resignation letter you stated that one of the reasons for leaving
freedom newspaper was and I quote "Journalism is a responsible reporting and maintaining
ethics; informing the public with credible news and not otherwise - this does not obtain at
freedomnewspaper.com any more." Can you please elaborate on the incident in question that was
the final straw that drove you to finally call it quits?

Jambang: Well, you cannot do otherwise but to be truthful in what you do if you want to be
trustworthy. The incident was about a fictitious character called Lamarana Jallow who
malevolently and irrationally wanted to discredit former vice-president Bakary Dabo and former
Gambian military commander, Sam Sarr in commentary that did not have a figment of truth. Let me
make this clear, I do not know BB Dabo in person, nor have known any of his relations here in the
US or back home in the Gambia. The same applies to Sam Sarr and Chongan. But in Lamarana's
story, BB Dabo and Sam Sarr were allegedly trying to restore deposed president Jawara. And in
the same story, BB Dabo was poised to take Yahya Jammeh's place (to be head of state). What
would you have done if Lamarana were to submit this story to Gainako? I will leave that to you and
readers.

Another surprising point was that Lamarana alleged that Sam Sarr held Swaebou Conateh of
Gambia News & Report Magizine at gunpoint to write a "coup statement" for the junta. Sam is an
internationally recognized author. Does it make sense that he was going to put some one's life on the
line only for writing him a statement? The answer is no. I wrote a piece to the publisher of
Freedomnewspaper.com, Pa Ndery, which he published. In it I asked Lamarana to clarify the
contradictions I have just mentioned. He did not. But another freedomnewspaper.com editor in the
person of Mohammed Jawara intervened on Lamarana's behalf asking me to explain what
happened since I disagree with Lamarana's version! I wrote a second piece to Pa Ndery M'bai,
which he published but pulled it down from the site in less than half an hour! Essentially, telling me
"your views would not be tolerated". So, I quit.

GON: Prior to this last incident, was there any other incident(s) in the past? And have you tried in
your capacity as the associate editor of the paper to raise questions about the validity of the stories
being reported, its content or events?

Jambang: Yes. The alleged extra-marital affairs of Kaba Bajo, Gambia's ambassador to Tehran. I
cautioned Mr. M'bai about such wild allegations but to no avail. Such stories are potential
ingredients for breaking up people's marriage and he could be dragged to court for that. But his
argument was 'they are public officials'. I agree that public officials are to be scrutinized by press
especially when it comes to the abuse of office. But no such allegations have been brought against
Mr. Bajo and he has not been named any corruption scandals. So, why mess with his matrimonial
life? What interest do we have in him sleeping with a woman in Norway during his vacation? None.

GON: While many hailed your decision to quit freedom newspaper as " honorable" and a duty for
any reputable journalist to do to keep his/her reputation intact notably Rtd Colonel Sarr, but still
there are others who wondered why it took you so long to come to this conclusion?

Jambang: I joined the paper with the hope of telling Gambians stories that Daily Observer and
other government controlled press would not dare speak of and I know Mr. M'bai way back in the
Gambia. We 've authored stories together at the Daily Observer without running to each other. So, I
stayed with him for this long hoping to effect some changes in his style of reporting. But this
unfortunately, was not possible. Better late than never.

GON: Since your departure from Freedom newspaper there is speculation that you once were
writing under the name "Justice Sam" and "Town crier", a familiar theme at Freedom. Any truth to
this allegation?

Jambang: Ha, ha, Justice Sam? Town Crier! I have only one identity. Yankuba Jambang. Why
would I use a feign name when my name is everywhere? Only Pa Ndery knows who these phony
characters are.

GON: Your press release was carried by Gainako, The Echo but not Freedom. Any reason for
this?

Jambang: I don't know? They know why.

GON: Gainako have known you to be a friend and associate to Freedom's Editor and Publisher
Mr. Mba'i, not recently but it dates back to the Gambia. Will you call him one of these days to mend
the differences and move forward?

Jambang: I will certainly call him when I need to but not to talk about my departure or mend
fences.

GON: Thanks for talking to Gainako.

Jambang: Thanks for having me,

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