By Abdoulie Bojang
Senegalese High Commissioner to the Gambia, Basirrou Sene’s December 22nd 2022 interview with Alagie Manneh of The Standard Newspaper was unsavory, undiplomatic, misleading and was an insensitive, shameless and futile attempt to cover-up the military and security missteps of their failing and increasingly unpopular mission to the Gambia. As a matter of fact, and contrary to his willful ignorance; the Senegalese Army’s continuous stay and military operations in the Gambia and the Senegalese separatist region of Casamance is currently one of the greatest security threats to both Gambia and Senegal. For me and many others, these statements were and are not only unfortunate, deceitful, disrespectful to the victims, their families but the sovereign Gambia as a whole.
But again, this diplomatic immaturity of High Commissioner Sene cannot be surprising since he is part of some psychopaths who still believe Senegal is Gambia’s big brother and think even the way they think is more comprehensive and levelheaded than their little brother- sovereign Gambia. No wonder, the instructed emphasis on the word “nonsense ” so that Gambians and the worldwide readership of the interview will know that the way he thinks and perceives issues is more sensible than Gambians; even though, there are glaring evidences contrary to his dehumanizing statements during the interview.
Unfortunately, on paragraph four(4) of the article; Sene continued to be very diplomatically immoral and economical with the truth.
High Commisoner Sene, cut and quote:
“Sene said he finds it very hard to digest that Senegalese soldiers will fire at Gambians. “No. There is no investigation which shows that it was the Senegalese soldiers who fired at Gambians. No. This is fake news, intended only to give a bad name to the Senegalese army. The Senegalese army is very professional, well-equipped, and well-trained in the highest military schools around the world. So they can’t kill or open fire on civilians. So, it is nonsense to say that Senegalese fired on Gambians,” Ambassador Sene noted.
The above cited citation suggests how not only economical Sene is with the truth but also arrogant, ignorant and deceitful a diplomat he is. As a diplomat and respecter of international humanitarian laws and subsequent additional protocols on protection of lives and properties in times of war; the least he could have done is to show remorse over the death of fellow humans if not in their capacities as Senegalese and/or Gambians, register the possibility of the Senegalese soldiers using drones to kill Gambians. Again, Sene is supposedly highly trained and professional diplomat but has failed woefully one basic and naturally human requirement of paying last respects to deceased souls of Senegambia just the same way the supposedly high quality military training of the Senegalese soldiers has failed to help them win and secure the most important and resourceful Casamance region of Senegal for more than two decades.
Ironically, their highest professional military training has unfortunately brought them more widows, orphans, graves, pain and agony with a lot of economic loss than the peace and security for which Senegal began the war against the MFDC separatists in Casamance.
Logic defies that the MFDC Separatist rebels have the necessary military training and resources to operate a surveillance and/or killer drone. So, if there is anyone operating a killer drone; it will certainly be the Senegalese soldiers. Again, these so called highly trained Senegalese soldiers were the ones who killed Haruna Jatta, a Gambian, during the peaceful Kanilai protest and still continue to brutalize and intimidate both the military and civil population in Foni. What about the military bullets and shells that rained on the Gambian soil in March to April 2022 just before the parliamentary elections? What about the Senegalese military checkpoints in Bwiam? What about the occupation of rice fields use for rice cultivation by women? What about their involvement in arresting, confiscation and detaining truckers and timber logs? What about the confiscation of firewood from our mothers and fathers even in their farmlands in the name of protecting the Senegalese forest of Casamance? Are some of these Senegalese military activities in Gambia moral, professional and legal? May be Sene has forgotten too soon or is willfully lying to his teeth.
In conclusion, the second to last paragraph of his interview has gone to show how bereft of facts, detached from the truth Sene is and the disgraceful height of his diplomatic indecency even if the face of glaring evidences.
High Commisoner Sene, cut and quote:
“It is unfair therefore to say that the continuous presence of the Ecomig in The Gambia is undermining the territorial integrity of the country. How are they undermining The Gambia’s integrity? Do they occupy, illegally, one percent of the Gambian territory? Are they doing something illegal? They are here to secure the constitution of the Republic of The Gambia,” he said.
It is utterly disheartening to see how selfish and narrow minded Sene is. As a diplomatic psychopath, he thinks territorial integrity has to do with his layman view of peace, security and confined to borders of a country only. Fast forward, the presence of Senegalese timber forces has compromised our national security, integrity and sovereignty as a country in numerous and disgraceful ways.
Please Sene should allow me to school him on how the continuous stay of the Senegalese soldiers undermines beyond our national territorial integrity.
To begin with, our national integrity, peace and security is largely dependent on our national unity and cohesion. The continuous presence of the Senegalese soldiers has and is increasing shattering our unity and socio political cohesion. Our security and/or military intelligence is our most vital ingredient for national security. Unfortunately, the presence of the Senegalese soldiers in our state house has denied us total and authoritative control over our intelligence. In fact, the fact that they are responsible for the protection of the head of state and government with our intelligence both the current and future presidents are at a great risk. Needless to say, our increasing dependence on Senegal for security, trade and economic, energy, health, food others etc. is undermining our national integrity, security and sovereignty.
The protection, defense and upholding of the Gambia and her constitution is not the mandate of the Senegalese forces but that of the constitutionally created and established security and military institutions. The mere denial, limitation of any persons, institutions constitutionally charged with the responsibility of securing and defending Gambia and her territorial integrity is undermining our national morale and integrity. And this is exactly what the Ecomig forces are doing. Our competent national army and security institutions cannot be second or alternatives in performance of their number one duty to country and the likes of Sene see that as uncompromising to our integrity and sovereignty.
In fact, Gambia government should sermon him to clarify his statements.
Ok let’s leave at that, maybe this is an overdose for Sene! I believe he has got schooled on this.
Will Sene take the diplomatically recognized course to apologize as his statements are still hurting the families and Gambians in general?
To The Gambia our most cherished homeland!
