US embassy cable - 96BANJUL2256

UNCLAS BANJUL 002256 
 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W; LONDON FOR YOUNG; 
PARIS FOR MORAN; USEU FOR NAHAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, GA 
SUBJECT: CHAIRMAN JAMMEH RETIRES FROM THE ARMY - 
         AS A COLONEL 
 
REF: BANJUL 2197 
 
1- SUMMARY: ON 6 SEPTEMBER A FEW DAYS AFTER BEING 
PROMOTED FROM CAPTAIN TO COLONEL, CHAIRMAN YAHYA JAMMEH 
RETIRED FROM THE GAMBIAN ARMY, THUS MAKING HIMSELF 
LEGALLY ELIGIBLE TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN THE 26 
SEPTEMBER ELECTION. THE ELABORATE RETIREMENT CEREMONY 
WAS ACTUALLY A POLITICAL EVENT MADE PALATABLE BY A 
PATINA OF MILITARY POMP. END SUMMARY 
 
2. IN A CEREMONY AT 22 JULY SQUARE IN DOWNTOWN BANJUL, 
RECENTLY PROMOTED (EFFECTIVE DATE 28 AUGUST) COLONEL 
YAHYA JAMMEH RETIRED, WITH SUITABLE POMP AND 
CIRCUMSTANCE, FROM THE GAMBIAN ARMY.  THE CEREMONY WAS 
A COMBINATION OF BRITISH MILITARY TRADITION AND AFRICAN 
SPICE.  OFFICIALLY TERMED A PARADE, THE BACKDROP WAS 
PROVIDED BY A SHARP-LOOKING UNIT OF ABOUT 250 FATIGUE- 
CLAD SOLDIERS AND A 30-PIECE ARMY BAND.  THE TROOPS 
MARCHED WELL, AND THEIR OFFICERS AND NCO SHOUTED 
COMMANDS IN THE BEST BRITISH ARMY SQUARE BASHING 
MANNER. 
 
3. JAMMEH, AS IS HIS WONT, ARRIVED ABOUT ONE HOUR LATE 
IN THE USUAL MULTI-VEHICLE CONVOY FROM HIS COMPOUND 
DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE SQUARE.   EVEN THOUGH HE HAD 
NOT YET OFFICIALLY RETIRED, HE APPEARED IN HIS 
ELECTIONEERING ENSEMBLE (A GREEN BRIMLESS AFRICAN HAT 
SET UPON AN ORANGE BURNOOSE-LIKE AFFAIR AND A LIGHT 
BLUE BOU BOU, WITH A TRADITIONAL DESERT WARRIOR'S SWORD 
HELD IN HIS RIGHT HAND) RATHER THAN THE FULL COLONEL'S 
UNIFORM ONE WOULD EXPECT FOR A RETIREMENT CEREMONY. 
THE MASTER OF CEREMONIES READ A SHORT, BUT EXHAUSTIVE 
LIST OF THE COLONEL'S MILITARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, 
INCLUDING HIS MILITARY POLICE OFFICER COURSE AT FORT 
MCCLELLAN, ALABAMA (WHICH HE COMPLETED AS A FIRST 
LIEUTENANT IN EARLY 1994, JUST BEFORE HIS METEORIC RISE 
THROUGH THE RANKS BEGAN). 
 
4. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A SHORT SPEECH BY THE CHAIRMAN 
IN WHICH HE STATED THAT WHILE HE WOULD ALWAYS BE A 
SOLDIER AT HEART, HE WAS GIVING IN TO THE WISHES OF THE 
PEOPLE AND RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.  THIS MENTION OF HIS 
CANDIDACY BROUGHT SUSTAINED CHEERING FROM HIS MANY 
SUPPORTERS IN THE CROWD.  HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE 
PEOPLE LOOKED TO THE MILITARY AND POLICE TO MAINTAIN 
THE PEACE DURING THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN.  HE FINISHED BY 
ASSURING THE TROOPS  "THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE DONE TO 
IMPROVE YOUR CONDITIONS." 
 
5. HE THEN INSPECTED THE TROOPS WHILE WHAT WAS 
DESCRIBED AS A 21-GUN SALUTE BY THE MC WAS FIRED IN THE 
BACKGROUND.  THE SALUTE SEEMED TO RUN CLOSER TO ABOUT 
13 GUNS, AND THE GUNS THEMSELVES WERE NOT ACTUALLY 
GUNS, BUT SOMETHING CLOSER TO FIRECRACKERS, WHICH THREE 
SOLDIERS AT A FAR COSNER OF THE SQUARE LIT AND TOSSED 
ABOUT 15 FEET, WHERE THEY EXPLODED WITH FLASHES, BANGS 
AND SMOKE.  UPON HIS RETURN TO THE VIEWING STAND, THE 
TROOPS MARCHED OFF THE FIELD WITH THE BAND PLAYING AULD 
LANG SANG, FOUR BAGPIPERS PLAYED A MEDLEY, AND THEN A 
GROUP OF ABOUT 60 SOLDIERS RETURNED TO THE FIELD FOR A 
MARTIAL ARTS DEMONSTRATION. 
 
6. THIS LAST WAS CHOREOGRAPHED BY ONE OF A TRIO OF 
NORTH KOREAN MILITARY MEN LURKING IN THE BACKGROUND OF 
THE CEREMONY.  STANDING ON A CHAIR AND GIVING A SERIES 
OF HAND SIGNALS, THE COMRADE HAD HIS CHARGES CHOPPING, 
KICKING, FENDING OFF AND GENERALLY FIGHTING, IF NOT AS 
WELL VAN DAMME, AT LEAST AS WELL AS A GRADUATING CLASS 
AT ANY NORTHERN VIRGINIA JHOON RHEE KARATE DOJO.  THE 
CROWD LOVED IT.  THE FINALE, A BRICK BREAKING 
DEMONSTRATI0N, REALLY BROUGHT THEM TO THEIR FEET. 
 
7. COMMENT. THERE WERE PROBABLY THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE 
IN THE SQUARE AND ANOTHER TWO THOUSAND LOOKING ON 
THROUGH THE BARRED PERIMETER FENCE.  MOST OF BANJUL, 
HOWEVER, APPEARED NOT TO CARE LESS ABOUT WHAT HAD TO BE 
THE BIGGEST EVENT IN TOWN ON THAT DAY.  THE STREETS 
WERE FULL OF PEOPLE GOING ABOUT THEIR NORMAL BUSINESS 
WITHIN A FEW FEET OF THE SQUARE, 
GIVING THE NOISY GOINGS ON A SECOND GLANCE.  WHETHER 
THEY WERE JUST TOO BUSY OR REALLY NOT ALL THAT FOND OF 
JAMMEH IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY.  END COMMENT 
 
 
ROHN