In July 1994 when it became clear that the government of Sir Dawda Jawara had been toppled, there was mixed emotions, but by and large, much of the country and the property in Gambia market was ready for a change after thirty years of the same government. Before the coup, the country had been drifting, albeit ever so slowly, into a state of social disorder that threatened to fracture our society in a way we had never seen in our entire four hundred years history. By the time the coup occurred 1994, it was apparent that Jawara had lost control of his government, and two virulently bitter rivals moved to fill the vacuum left by President Jawara's incapacitation: The Banjul Mafia and the Terri Kaffo.

Their bitter struggle for social supremacy and political and economic dominance had begun many years before our Independence in 1965, however, I will leave the story of how what began in the 1950's culminated in Jawara's toppling for another day. But on that fateful day in 1994, there was hope that the fructuous politics that pitted the educated Mandingoes under the umbrella of the Terri Kaffo on the one hand, against the Banjul Mafia and the rest of the country's tribes on the other would come to an end. The Terri Kaffo under the patronage of Saikou Sabally and B.B. Darboe had begun a systematic and an aggressive agenda of Mandinkanizing the entire civil service, much as the Wollofs displaced the Akus years before. It is necessary to remind our readers of this because in order to give context to what your government is doing wrong, it is imperative to give a historical background to the issues and problems that continue to polarize our country.

Mr. Jammeh, since you became president, our country has been plagued by mismanagement and a litany of gruesome government sanctioned crimes, some reflecting your total and absolute ignorance of how to govern effectively, while others indicate your willful and deliberate fracturing of our society just so you can perpetuate your rule. Clearly, you have succeeded at both beyond the wildest dream of anyone, and the whole country is now paying the price for your callous and cowardly behavior.