by Thomas C. Mountain
Just another week in neocolonial Africa, where every country’s military is armed, clothed, equipped and trained by the US through AFRICOM. Reports in the western press of a corrupt president refusing to leave office and being ousted to universal acclaim by the joint intervention of the Nigerian Air Force and Senagalese ground troops obfuscate or omit most of the story.
Gambia; A Very African Coup
by Thomas C. Mountain
"... the Senegalese Army backed by the Nigerian Air Force, invaded Gambia and forced President Yahyah to flee the country..."
Recently the Gambian President, as corrupt and brutal as any in Africa for over 20 years now, was overthrown by a foreign invasion and occupation following a tightly contested election.
To review, there was an election in Gambia which was very close, a difference of 20,000 or so and the “opposition”, a western favorite, declared victory. President Yahyah admitted it seemed he had lost but then announced that after further investigation there were serious irregularities that could have changed the outcome. He suspended the election process until he could figure out what took place, something his handpicked Constitutional Court upheld.
ECOWAS, a mini version of the African Union, flexed its military muscle and the Senegalese Army backed by the Nigerian Air Force, invaded Gambia and forced President Yahyah to flee the country, evidently with all the cash in the National Bank.
To this day the Senegalese Army continues to occupy Gambia, with Senegalese Commandos providing personal protection for the newly installed President, having been sworn in while residing in Senegal?
"...Ethiopia, ruled by a particularly brutal, genocidal even, western supported regime for longer than President Yahyah..."
If the old President wasn't such a S.O.B. (until recently “our SOB”) one could feel outraged about what can only be described as “a very African Coup”, for where else in the world could one country invade and occupy a neighbor, install the President they support and everyone cheers? Or at least the western media does, though I have yet to hear anyone remotely uncomfortable about such a major violation of international law and non intervention principals anywhere else in the international arena.
Of course Ethiopia, ruled by a particularly brutal, genocidal even, western supported regime for longer than President Yahyah regularly steal elections, declare a state of emergency, and yet the African Union goes right on running their dog and pony show from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
In Neo colonial Africa it is not the “rule of law” rather the “law of the jungle” where only the strong survive, and what chance does a tiny country like Gambia have against military powers like Senegal and Nigeria. As a result we have Gambia and a very African Coup.
Thomas C. Mountain is an independent journalist in Eritrea, living and reporting from here since 2006. Find him here on Facebook or better yet contact him at thomascmountain(at)gmail.com.
NYC's new congestion pricing program has grave environmental justice implications for poor, working class, and Black communities which will be subjected to increased pollution and poor air quality.
Trinidad is experiencing an unprecedented crime wave. The state has responded by militarizing the police and loosening restrictions on their actions. To understand these mechanisms, one must look at…
The murder of four Afro-Ecuadorian boys is another tragic example of the long history of racism in Latin America. The utter disregard for the lives of Black youth and the refusal to seek justice for…
On Dec 11, 2024, it was reported that the post-election audiences for the leading liberal media, MSNBC and CNN, continued to drop: 46% and 33%, respectively. Some of MSNBC’s biggest stars, including…
"F Train Lynching: Papa Cop’s wink and nod" is the latest from BAR's Poet-in-Residence.
