US embassy cable - 94BANJUL2791

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANJUL 002791 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W 
LONDON FOR MCKINLEY 
PARIS FOR PERLOW 
 
E.0.12356N DECL:OADR 
TAGS:  PREL, PGOV, PINR, GA 
SUBJECT:  THE GAMBIA:  JAMMEH CLAIMS AN OPEN MANDATE 
 
1.  CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT. 
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SUMMARY 
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2.  LT JAMMEH, THE PRC, AND THE NEW GOVERNMENT MET 
THE PEOPLE OF BANJUL AT A MASS RALLY JULY 13, 1994. 
LT JAMMEH AND OTHER SPEAKERS FOCUSED ON THE NEED FOR 
CHANGE, THE IMPORTANCE OF ROOTING OUT CORRUPTION, AND 
THE NEED FOR NATIONAL UNITY.  LT JAMMEH PROMISED THAT 
THE PRC WOULD REMAIN IN POWER AS LONG AS THE PEOPLE 
OF THE GAMBIA WISHED.  A RETURN TO DEMOCRACY WAS NOT 
DISCUSSED.  LT JAMMEH'S REMARKS INDICATE A LACK OF 
ENTHUSIASM FOR WESTERN DEMOCRACY AND AN IMMEDIATE 
CONCERN FOR ELIMINATING CORRUPTION.  END SUMMARY. 
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THE PRC MEETS THE BANJULIANS 
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3.  THE ARMED FORCES PROVISIONAL RULING COUNCIL (PRC) 
CALLED A RALLY AT MCCARTHY SQUARE TO MEET THE PEOPLE 
OF THE CITY OF BANJUL SATURDAY AUGUST 13, 1994.  ALL 
FIVE CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE PRC ATTENDED, AS WELL AS 
THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (CABINET) AND THE 
NEWLY-APPOINTED MAYOR OF BANJUL, MAJOR ANTOUMAN 
SAHO.  THE RALLY WAS RESCHEDULED FROM THE RAINED-OUT 
EVENT CALLED FOR MONDAY AUGUST 8, 1994.  GRIOTS 
(TRADITIONAL PRAISE-SINGERS) AND FOLKLORIC PERFORMING 
GROUPS WERE SPECIFICALLY INVITED TO THIS EVENT. 
 
4.  ALTHOUGH CALLED FOR 3 PM, MINISTERS WERE NOT 
SEATED UNTIL NEARLY 4:30 PM.  A LIGHT RAIN FELL FOR 
MOST OF THE RALLY, BUT DID NOT APPEAR TO DIMINISH 
ATTENDANCE OR THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE CROWD.  THE RALLY 
ENDED NEAR DUSK, AT APPROXIMATELY 6:45 PM. 
 
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WE'RE HERE AND WE'RE IN CHARGE 
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5.  LT JAMMEH AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PRC (LTS 
SABALLY, SINGHATEH, HAIDARA, AND TOURAY) ARRIVED ON 
FOOT FROM STATE HOUSE (ABOUT 100 YDS), BUT WERE 
PRECEDED BY TWO MOTORCYCLE ESCORTS AND TWO TRUCKLOADS 
OF BODYGUARDS ARMED WITH MACHINE GUNS AND RPG-7S. 
UPON ENTRY INTO MCCARTHY SQUARE, THE PRC MEMBERS 
JOINED HANDS WITH THEIR ARMS UPRAISED AND CIRCLED THE 
SQUARE, ACCEPTING CHEERS AND HANDSHAKES AS THEY 
PASSED.  THEY WERE ACCOMPANIED BY NEARLY 40 GUARDS 
ARMED WITH AUTOMATIC WEAPONS.  SECURITY AT THE AUGUST 
13 RALLY WAS MUCH HEAVIER THAN THE CANCELLED AUGUST 8 
EVENT, WITH TWICE AS MANY SOLDIERS AND MUCH HEAVIER 
WEAPONRY PRESENT. 
 
6.  UPON TAKING SEATS, THE DAIS WAS APPROACHED BY 
ALHAJI CONATEH, THE GAMBIA'S MOST PROMINENT GRIOT AND 
BALAFON PLAYER (AND A FREQUENT VISITOR AT STATE HOUSE 
BEFORE PRESIDENT JAWARA'S OVERTHROW).  ON BEHALF OF 
ALL THE GRIOTS OF THE GAMBIA, ALHAJI CONATEH THANKED 
THE PRC FOR THEIR NEW GOVERNMENT AND NOTED THAT THIS 
WAS THE FIRST OCCASION AT WHICH ALL THE GAMBIA'S 
GRIOTS HAD BEEN ASSEMBLED TO GREET THE HEAD OF 
STATE.  ALHAJI CONATEH SPOKE IN ENGLISH, WHICH HE 
FOLLOWED BY REMARKS IN WOLLOF.  A HALF-DOZEN OTHER 
GRIOTS ALSO OFFERED SPEECHES IN WOLLOF ONLY, WHICH IN 
GENERAL ADVISED LT JAMMEH THAT A TRADITIONAL CHIEF 
MUST BE JUST AND IMPARTIAL, AND NOT SWAYED BY TIES OF 
FRIENDSHIP, TRIBE OR FAMILY. 
 
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WE LIKE OLD-FASHIONED ENTERTAINMENT 
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7.  THE GRIOT'S SPEECHES WERE FOLLOWED BY A MIXED 
GROUP OF KORA AND BALAFON PLAYERS AND SINGERS, WHO 
PLAYED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES.  FOLKLORIC ENSEMBLES THEN 
PERFORMED IN SEQUENCE, BEGINNING WITH A JOLA TROUP 
WHO EXECUTED VERY ACROBATIC DANCES AND SLASHED AT 
THEMSELVES WITH SWORDS AND KNIVES, UNDERSCORING THEIR 
INVULNERABILITY TO SUCH WEAPONS.  AFTER THE JOLA 
TROUP, FIVE OTHER FULA AND WOLLOF DANCERS PER 
FORMED. 
 
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WE'VE GOT TO WORK HARD . . . 
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8.  AFTER DANCES AND PERFORMANCES WERE FINISHED,  THE 
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (CABINET) AND THE NEW MAYOR OF 
BANJUL WERE INTRODUCED.  MAJ SAHO'S SPEECH POINTED 
OUT THAT JULY 22 WOULD BE REMEMBERED AS A DAY OF 
PROGRESS OF THE GAMBIA.  HE STATED THAT HIS GOALS 
WERE TO MAKE BANJUL A QUOTE WORLD CLASS CITY UNQUOTE 
IN WHICH THE SECURITY OF BANJULIANS WOULD REMAIN HIS 
PRIMARY CONCERN.   MINISTERS MADE SHORT SPEECHES 
FOCUSED ON QUOTE THE CHANGE (OF GOVERNMENT) UNQUOTE 
AND THE NEED FOR ALL GAMBIANS TO WORK TOGETHER AND TO 
ABANDON THE BAD HABITS OF THE OLD REGIME.  NEITHER 
INTERIOR MINISTER LT HAIDARA NOR FINANCE MINISTER 
DABO SPOKE ON THIS OCCASION. 
 
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STICK TOGETHER . . . 
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9.  LT JAMMEH RECEIVED A THUNDEROUS CHEER WHEN HE 
ROSE TO SPEAK.  HE BEGAN BY ASKING THE CROWD IF THEY 
WANTED JAWARA BACK.  THE CROWD ROARED BACK THAT IT 
DID NOT.  HE ASKED THE QUESTION A SECOND TIME, WITH 
THE SAME ANSWER.  LT JAMMEH THEN POINTED OUT THAT 
JAWARA HAD QUOTE LED BY DIVIDE AND RULE UNQUOTE, AND 
THAT EVERYONE HAD SEEN THE RESULTS OF DIVIDE AND RULE 
IN RWANDA AND SOUTH AFRICA.  DIVIDE AND RULE HAD BEEN 
THE MECHANISM OF COLONIALISM IN AFRICA. 
 
10.  LT JAMMEH INSISTED THAT TRIBE HAD HELD SWAY OVER 
BROTHERHOOD (AMONG CO-NATIONALS) UNDER JAWARA, AND 
THAT EVERYONE COULD SEE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS 
POLICY IN RWANDA.  LT JAMMEH PROMISED THAT THE PRC 
WOULD NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN IN THE GAMBIA. 
 
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AND REMEMBER WHO WE ARE 
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11.  THE PRC CHAIRMAN THEN MOVED TO THE ISSUE OF 
DEMOCRACY.  HE POINTED OUT THAT DEMOCRACY HAD ITS 
ROOTS IN GREECE AND ROME, AND HAD BEEN THE POLITICAL 
SYSTEM OF AFRICA'S COLONIAL MASTERS.  HE REMINDED THE 
CROWD THAT GAMBIANS HAD A DIFFERENT IDEA OF 
DEMOCRACY, AND ASKED IF GAMBIANS WANTED THE TYPE OF 
DEMOCRACY THAT PURCHASED WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION 
WHILE GAMBIANS WERE POOR. 
 
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WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THINGS . . . 
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12.  LT JAMMEH PROMISED BANJULIANS THAT THE PRC WOULD 
ASSURE THAT JUSTICE IS DONE.  HE ASSURED HIS AUDIENCE 
THAT WHEN THEIR WORK IS DONE THE GNA WOULD GO BACK TO 
BARRACKS. 
 
13.  MOVING TO THE QUESTION OF DETAINEES, ESPECIALLY 
FORMER POLICE AND ARMY OFFICERS (NOTABLY CPTS CHAM 
AND SARR, FORMER SPOKESMAN LT KONTEH, AND FORMER 
INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE PA SALLAH JAGNE, AS WELL 
AS AN ESTIMATED THIRTY OTHERS), LT JAMMEH WARNED THAT 
QUOTE THERE ARE ENEMIES OF THE GAMBIA INSIDE AND 
OUTSIDE UNQUOTE, AND THAT OUR (GAMBIANS') DUTY WAS TO 
UNITE FOR THE GAMBIA. 
 
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AS LONG AS YOU WANT 
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14.  LT JAMMEH INTERJECTED THAT WE (THE PRC) ARE HERE 
(IN POWER) TO RECOVER QUOTE EVERY BUTUT (THE SMALLEST 
UNIT OF THE GAMBIAN CURRENCY) PLUNDERED FROM THE 
GAMBIAN PEOPLE UNQUOTE, AND THAT WE (THE PRC) ARE 
HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INTERESTS OF GAMBIANS ARE 
SERVED.  HE THEN ASSURED THE CROWD THAT THE PRC WOULD 
REMAIN IN POWER AS LONG AS THE PEOPLE OF THE GAMBIA 
SO WISHED. 
 
15.  LT JAMMEH CLOSED HIS REMARKS BY PROMISING THAT 
THE PRC WAS FOR AFRICA AND AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT.  HE 
REMINDED HIS LISTENERS THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE 
SECURITY FORCES IN DETENTION WANTED LOOTING AND 
VIOLENCE, AND THAT THE PRC WOULD NEVER ALLOW SUCH A 
SITUATION IN THE GAMBIA.  QUOTE NOW, NO ONE IS AT 
RISK OF LOSING EVEN A DOG OR A CHICKEN UNQUOTE. 
 
16.  LT JAMMEH'S FINAL COMMENT WAS THAT THE PRC 
WANTED A GAMBIA FREE OF PPP CORRUPTION.  WITH A FINAL 
QUOTE LONG LIVE GAMBIAN UNITY, LONG LIVE AFRICAN 
UNITY UNQUOTE, PRC MEMBERS LEFT THE DAIS AND WALKED 
BACK TO STATE HOUSE, FOLLOWED BY LARGE NUMBERS OF 
CHEERING YOUTH. 
 
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COMMENT 
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17.  DESPITE ITS RAMBLING, OFF-THE-CUFF DELIVERY, LT 
JAMMEH'S ADDRESS WAS HIS FIRST MAJOR DEPARTURE FROM 
HIS OFT-DELIVERED EARLIER SET SPEECH ON THE NEED FOR 
THE GNA TO ACT OWING TO OFFICIAL  CORRUPTION AND THE 
PERVERSION OF DEMOCRACY UNDER JAWARA.  THIS RALLY 
WOULD HAVE BEEN THE APPROPRIATE OCCASION TO ANNOUNCE 
THE PRC'S PROGRAM FOR RETURNING DEMOCRACY TO THE 
GAMBIA, HAD THE PRC WISHED TO DO SO.  THE 
ANTI-WESTERN AND ANTI-DEMOCRATIC TONE OF LT JAMMEH'S 
REMARKS, HIS FOCUS ON THE PRC'S MISSION TO FIND AND 
PUNISH CORRUPTION, AND HIS REFUSAL TO BEND ON THE 
ISSUE OF DETENTION OF FORMER ARMY AND POLICE (INCL. 
TACTICAL SUPPORT GROUP) PERSONNEL, ALL INDICATE THAT 
LT JAMMEH'S AND THE PRC'S THOUGHTS ARE NOT FOCUSED ON 
AN EARLY RETURN TO BARRACKS OR A QUICK RETURN TO 
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY IN THE GAMBIA. 
 
18.  THIS RALLY WAS NOTABLY DIRECTED TOWARD 
TRADITIONAL AND LOCAL LEGITIMIZATION OF AUTHORITY, IN 
CONTRAST TO AN EARLIER RALLY HELD A WEEK EARLIER AT 
THE NATIONAL STADIUM IN FAJARA.  PART OF THE RALLY'S 
MESSAGE SEEMS TO BE THAT TRADITIONAL AFRICAN 
STANDARDS -- RATHER THAN INTERNATIONAL AND WESTERN 
ONES -- WILL BE THE TESTS BY WHICH THE PRC WILL 
MEASURE THEMSELVES AND THEIR GOVERNMENT. 
 
19.  LT JAMMEH IS MERCURIAL, AND OFTEN SEEMS TO SPEAK 
WITHOUT REFLECTION.  HIS PAST MISSTATEMENTS APPEAR 
THOUGHTLESS RATHER THAN DELIBERATELY FALSE, AS IN 
REGARD TO EARLIER PRC DISSIMULATION ON THE DETAINEE 
QUESTION.  HE COULD EASILY CHANGE HIS MIND AND CALL 
ELECTIONS QUICKLY.  NONETHELESS, THE POPULIST 
RHETORIC OF THIS RALLY AND HIS IMPLICIT ASSERTION 
THAT THE PRC CAN INTUIT THE WILL OF THE GAMBIAN 
PEOPLE WITHOUT MEDIATION OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS DO 
NOT BODE WELL FOR THE GAMBIA'S POLITICAL EVOLUTION 
UNDER PRC TUTELAGE. 
 
20.  LT JAMMEH APPEARS TO BE DEVELOPING INTO AN 
EFFECTIVE DEMOGOGUE.  ALTHOUGH STILL SOMEWHAT STIFF 
AND AWKWARD, AT THIS RALLY HE ORCHESTRATED THE 
CROWD'S RESPONSES VERY WELL.  LT JAMMEH HAS ALREADY 
LEARNED TO MOBILIZE HIS PERSONAL POPULARITY AND 
PUBLIC ADMIRATION FOR HIS AUDACITY AND SENSE OF 
COMMAND INTO AN EASY JUSTIFICATION FOR CONTINUED 
POWER.  END COMMENT.  REGARDS. 
 
 
WINTER