We’ve heard much about the Soninke-Marabout wars that took place during the colonial era. More likely than not, we’ve been taught that they were religious wars aimed at forced conversions into Islam. The political component thereof is hardly ever mentioned, a closer look reveals more than just religious zealots ready to kill their kinfolk just… Continue reading Foday Kaba And The Soninke-Marabout Wars
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Are Mandinkas Victimized?
Following the leakage of the hateful vitriol of a former sitting National Assembly member for Banjul Central (pictured) against the Mandinka; The Gambia’s largest ethnic group, the response and retaliatory remarks that ensued have been overwhelming. The raw emotions expressed in a lot of them are very much understandable and in many cases justifiable. Bigotry… Continue reading Are Mandinkas Victimized?
School Days
When I went to primary school (now called lower basic school); at some point I had to carry my own table and chair to sit on in the classroom. So was the case for the other pupils because there were no desks provided at certain levels. We did have school feeding though; warm milk and… Continue reading School Days
Open Letter To The CRC
Mr. Chairman and Commissioners of the Constitutional Review Commission, As you are about to assume your roles of drafting the laws of The Gambia, laws that will hopefully last many decades to come with minimal if any amendments, I would like to add my piece to that effect. Laws and the rule of law are… Continue reading Open Letter To The CRC
Rioting Is A Form Of Protest
Agree to it or not, a riot is a form of protestation. It is not ideal, it is usually unnecessary, and spurred on by sudden onset of rage but it is a form of protest nonetheless. Some will argue it is a valid form of protest in certain circumstances such as when dealing with tyrants… Continue reading Rioting Is A Form Of Protest
What Values Do You Uphold?
Looking from the outside, non-Gambians often cite our ego and pride. How we hold grudges and find it hard to let go. This is usually said of Africans in general. But it seems with us, Gambians our ego and pride stands in the way of a lot of things. We hate being wrong and often loathe… Continue reading What Values Do You Uphold?
Our Emotionally Charged Nation
We decried Yaya for exactly the same reason, that he ruled based on his whims; a typical Gambian if you ask me. Those he favored or those who benefitted from him never saw him for the monster he was.They blamed his victims. Reason, logic, process and procedure; these are concepts that are meaningless and it… Continue reading Our Emotionally Charged Nation
Sensationalism Sells; But…
Our smiling coast is not so cohesive as we’d like to believe post dictatorship. But like most things Gambian, we’d rather be in denial or downplay issues than confront them and deal with them in an honest objective manner. If we choose to deal with issues at all, we cloud the actual issue with biased… Continue reading Sensationalism Sells; But…
Gambian Courts And Excessive Fines
Our laws, crime, and punishment should take into account our value systems, beliefs, economic realities and a whole host of other factors unique to our situation.
Seditious or Not Seditious
Here we are, diluting the issues yet again. Instead of looking at what constitutes sedition, we’re invoking emotions. "This is what Yaya did to stifle dissent and freedoms"; really? But what is sedition? “Conduct or speech INCITING people to REBEL (not oppose) against the AUTHORITY of a state or monarch." - Google So then what… Continue reading Seditious or Not Seditious
Mankajang 