VZCZCXRO6566
OO RUEHPA
DE RUEHJL #0233/01 1081407
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 181407Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BANJUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6576
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUFGAID/USEUCOM AIDES VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000233 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DAKAR PASS RAO, DAO, AND ODC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS CASC ASEC PHUM KMCA GA SG
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER REMOVED, 
PRO-JAMMEH RALLY 
 
REF: A. BANJUL 212 
 
     ¶B. BANJUL 193 
     ¶C. BANJUL 225 
     ¶D. BANJUL 222 
     ¶E. BANJUL 230 
 
BANJUL 00000233  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D) 
 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
 
¶1. (C) The National Assembly Speaker, Sheriff Dibba, 
suspected of involvement in the failed coup plot, was 
released from detention April 15, but removed from the 
National Assembly by President Jammeh.  A senior National 
Intelligence Agency official, Keemo Balajo, was also released 
and his job restored.  Amidst GOTG's ongoing silence over the 
detainees, we estimate their current number at around 25; 
besides the General Manager and Editor-in-Chief of the 
journal,"Independent," one of its journalists is now also in 
detention. At the pro-Jammeh rally April 15, the irascible, 
blunt-speaking Jammeh justified his own successful coup in 
1994, vowed to remain in power "at least thirty years," 
(i.e., via re-election), asserted -- in a possible reference 
to Senegal -- that he feared no other country, "particularly 
within our sub-region," and harshly attacked the opposition 
parties.   It remains to be seen whether, following Jammeh's 
outburst, any semblance  of the improved dialog in recent 
months between the GOTG/APRC and the opposition parties will 
survive. END SUMMARY. 
 
SPEAKER'S REMOVAL 
------------------ 
 
2.. (SBU) The reverberations from the March 21 aborted coup 
plot here continue, as the GOTG announced April 13 President 
Jammeh's decision, effective that day, to remove the 
country's  third ranking official, National Assembly Speaker 
Sheriff Dibba, from his post and the Assembly itself.  In its 
statement, the GOTG noted that Dibba was a 
presidentially-appointed Assembly deputy and cited the 
specific constitutional provisions authorizing Jammeh's 
action. Jammeh designated Majanko Samusa (unknown to us) to 
fill Dibba's Assembly seat, while Deputy Speaker Belinda 
Bidwell continues to serve as Acting Speaker, according to 
the announcement. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The GOTG's  statement cited Dibba's "alleged 
involvement" in the  failed coup plot as the reason for his 
removal, but gave no details of such involvement.   As 
previously reported (ref a), authorities had detained Dibba 
April 6; subsequent to his removal, the media reported his 
release from custody on April 15. (COMMENT: Rumor has it 
that, if the coup plot had succeeeded, Dibba would have 
appointed interim head of the new regime, but, if he was 
indeed implicated, the reason for his release is unclear. END 
COMMENT.) 
 
STATUS OF DETAINEES 
------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) By our reckoning, Dibba's release leaves one 
Assembly deputy still in detention, Dembo Dem, associated 
with the ruling APRC party.  Following another recent 
release, that of National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Keemo 
Balajo -- who has resumed his duties as NIA's  Deputy 
Director General -- we estimate the current number of 
detainees at around 25; among them are three members of the 
staff of the still-closed daily, "Independent," besides the 
previously detained General Manager Madi Ceesay and 
Editor-in-Chief Musa Saidykhan (ref b), a journalist with the 
paper, Lamin Fatty was detained April 10, according to media 
reports.   Meanwhile, the GOTG remains silent about the 
precise number and identities of detainees as well as 
possible charges against them and trial dates. To our 
knowledge, all detainees continue to be held incommunicado; 
we will continue our demarches to the GOTG to urge granting 
of access (including Embassy access to Amcit Tamsir Jasseh) 
and respect for detainees' rights  generally (refs a and c 
report our approaches to senior Presidential adviser and 
Foreign Affairs Permsec). 
 
PRO-JAMMEH RALLY 
---------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The much-heralded public rally in support of Jammeh 
occurred on schedule April 15 (ref d), featuring a march 
through downtown Banjul to an outdoor sports stadium. 
 
BANJUL 00000233  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Although the event's slogan was "say no to coups and yes to 
democracy,"  it had a distinctly partisan component; ruling 
APRC party banners were plentiful as were baseball caps and 
other apparel emblazoned with APRC insignia among the several 
thousand attendees.  Judging from extensive television 
coverage of the several-hour event, there were no opposition 
party representatives on hand; the diplomatic corps was 
invited, but Ambassador declined and few attended (Cuban 
Ambassador, Liberian and Nigerian Charges appeared in the 
footage). 
 
JAMMEH'S REMARKS -- A VINTAGE PERFORMANCE 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Following remarks by various GOTG Ministers and 
others known as APRC stalwarts, Jammeh himself addressed the 
assemblage (full text of his remarks will be sent to AF/W). 
It was a vintage performance by the irascible, blunt-speaking 
Jammeh, who began by justifying his own successful coup 
attempt in 1994, saying he had acted out of a sincere 
commitment to "move the country forward" and make it "a 
beacon of hope for all of Africa."  He went on to assert that 
coups undertaken out of  "tribalism" or concern for power and 
materia aggrandizement were unacceptable, while those (such 
as his) undertaken to "rescue the country from the brink of 
catastrophe," should be welcomed. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Jammeh stressed his love of country and dedication 
to seeing it progress, stating, "if I ever betray The Gambia, 
any patriotic Gambian can overthrow me."  Addressing 
prospects of his stepping down, he vowed not to do so until 
the country's development process is complete and it "becomes 
a superpower."  He referred on various occasions to his 
concern for the proper exploitation of the country's oil 
wealth. (COMMENT: In  fact, the magnitude of Gambian oil 
reserves -- and whether they are commmercially viable -- is 
unknown.  END COMMENT) He warned would-be successors that 
they would have "at least thirty years" to wait before he 
handed over power.  (COMMENT: At this point, we inclined to 
interpret Jammeh's vow to stay in power for "thirty years" 
not as signifying an intention to abrogate the constitution 
or scrap elections, but rather as an expression of confidence 
that he will continue to win re-election as President for 
some time to come. END COMMENT) 
 
¶8. (SBU) Turning to foreign relations, Jammeh defiantly 
stated, "there is not a country that we are scared of today, 
particularly within our sub-region."  He asserted that he 
would not permit any country to "tamper" with  The Gambia's 
"peace, progress, and oil" and that it had ample means to 
defend itself.   In this regard, he remarked, "what we have 
in terms of weapons, I will not show, but if anyone wants to 
test it, I will show it and use it on you."  (COMMENT: Amidst 
the heightened tensions with Senegal over the  failed plot -- 
see ref e -- in making the foregoing remarks, Jammeh may well 
have had in mind The Gambia's far more powerful neighbor, 
Senegal. END COMMENT) 
 
¶9. (SBU) Jammeh used the occasion to take a swipe at the 
opposition, saying it lacked the patriotism and sincere 
desire for the country's development of a "genuine 
opposition."  Instead, he continued, The Gambia's opposition 
movement is composed of "tribalists, a group of hate-centered 
greedy parasites" who failed to congratulate the government 
for "positive developments" and instead focused only on 
criticizing it.  Alluding to the 2006-7 Presidential and 
National Assembly elections, he stated that "the lunatics" 
comprising the opposition were doomed to failure because of 
their allegedly tribalist orientation. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶10. (C) Jammeh had heretofore refrained from cracking down on 
the opposition parties in the aftermath of the failed coup 
plot, and his harsh criticism of them was nothing new. 
However, given these parties' gestures of late -- i.e. 
statements condemning the plot -- the ferocity of Jammeh's 
attack on them at an event ostensibly designed to promote 
national solidarity is worrisome.  It remains to be seen 
whether, following Jammeh's outburst, any semblance of the 
improved dialog between the GOTG/APRC and the opposition in 
recent months will survive.  END COMMENT. 
STAFFORD