By Ebrima Papa Colley (Gambiano), Married to a Fula Wife!
The Vice President of our country Dr. Isatou Touray attacked a whole region of Foni lying that they used to receive free rice, water, electricity, etc. Because of lies and hate like these, Foni has been marginalized—its sons and daughters targeted or removed from key government positions.
But it was Macky Sall and Adama Barrow’s plan since 2017 to occupy Foni and oppress its people like Palestine. Military checkpoints are still in Foni as we write this. Haruna Jatta, a son of Foni was shot within close range and killed.
Foni cattle owners were forced by occupying military forces to “monkey-dance” simply because they found their animals stolen and butchered by an occupying foreign and very hostile force. Just very recently was another Foni man chased into the bush by the same Senegalese forces.
What was the man’s crime? Nothing! He simply answered a phone call from his ex-wife with whom he has children. The lady called him to come see her. But a Senegalese soldier, still occupying Foni roads, streets, and farms felt that he had to punch the man and later break into his house!
Again, as we write this, Barrow’s government and the occupying Senegalese forces are causing recurrent accidents with unnecessary military checkpoints like Palestine. They also seize timber from Gambians, even if harvested on Gambian soil.
Please name one Fula region in The Gambia that is occupied by a foreign military hired by Adama Barrow, Macky Sall, Isatou Touray, Hamat Bah, where Fulas are killed, checkpoints mounted to cause regular accidents, men chased into the bush by a hired hostile military amid a vehement ethnic oppression!!!
After killing Haruna, another Foninka was shot in his passenger van by the military. And accidents are still happening at the bad military checkpoints in Foni, disturbing local business and transportation. We can go on enumerating the litany of targeting, discrimination, etc., against the people of Foni.
While the above were all happening, Hamat Bah couldn’t see any discrimination, targeting, abuse, killing, etc. Why? Because the people of Foni are part of the “rats” he said other Gambians are. Yes, in Hamat’s filthy head, the people of Foni, Jarra, Kiang, Kombo, etc., are “rats.”
But even other animals cry when another animal dies in the street. Please watch next time how an ant stops to sniff and mourn a dead ant on the floor. Please watch how a squirrel does ditto upon seeing another squirrel trampled by a car.
Please watch how a chicken cries when it sees another being slaughtered for lunch. Cows, sheep, goats, etc., all do the same! But Hamat Bah has a brain less than that of any of these animals! That’s why the death of other Gambians doesn’t touch his heart!
Instead, “Fulas” are the ones that are suffering in The Gambia. Please Hamat, tell that to Muhammad Jah and see his reaction! Please tell that to Yeti Jallow and see his reaction! Please tell that to Jah Oil and see their reaction!
Please tell that to O.J Jallow, my own adopted father and see his reaction. Please tell that to Alpha Khan, my own school principal and see his reaction. What of Isatou Njie-Saidy? Or if these are all far-fetched, ask my own wife who is a pure Gambian Fula!
Gambians have been living in peace, co-existing, intermarrying for a very long time. Barrow government has been extremely desperate to cling unto power as to attempt riling Fulas against other tribes in our country. But majority of Gambia’s Fulas are very wise.
In fact, Fulas told Barrow clearly when his government first attempted this tribal divide. The Fula organization that rejected Barrow’s offers are a glaring example. They came to see Barrow when he assumed office, only to be turned down. But when Barrow needed to form his own party, he called the same group who told him a bitter truth!
So, is Hamat on drugs or under some mental spell to make these terrible assertions that should warrant a sane person to immediately tender a resignation? I met and interviewed Hamat Bah not once. In fact, there was a time when two of his wives fought and one poured water on the other. Hamat came to the Observer and asked us to publish it!
Another time, his boat or his friend’s boat at Denton Bridge was sinking due to a hole. Again, Hamat came to the Observer and asked us to publish it. I sat down with Hamat to go through it! But today, that same Hamat has changed into some other creature! You won’t win this fight, Hamat! Gambia is bigger than both you and Barrow!