The rough treatment of Amadou Samba at the hands of a private security detail hired by Sedia Bayo, a 32-year old French citizen of Gambian descent and a proclaimed opponent of the Jammeh regime promises a diplomatic row of huge proportions. The incident took place at the Radission Bleu Hotel in the Senegalese capital.
Mr. Bayo heads an obscure political party that is not recognized in The Gambia but yet has managed to cause havoc and disoriented the over-stretched security apparatus when he gave Jammeh an ultimatum to step down or be forced out of office through military action. Jammeh did not resign and Bayo did not carry our his threat of a coup d'etat. he did succeed in causing commotion throughout the Gambia.
The incident which occured earlier in the day (Saturday) involved an altercation between Amadou Samba, who is considered by many as the staunchest and most influential Gambian supporter of the highly unpopular regime. He has been a business associate with the Gambian dictator since he seized power in 1994 from a legally constituted government of Sir Dawda K. Jawara.
He has grown wealthy over his 20-year association with the Gambian dictator and has thus become the Gambian face of the dictatorship outside of government circles. Although he's the Chairman of the influential Judicial Commission, he's known more for the fronting he has been accused of for Yaya Jammeh in many business deals.
According to various sources, Amadou Samba was seen on numerous occasions, around the hotel complex with another person who was described as a "Guinean", and their actions were deemed "suspicious". Other accounts say that Mr. Samba was seen handing over large amounts of cash to the "Guinean". Others were convinced that Amadou Samba had them "under surveillance for three days" which triggered the private security guarding Sedia Bayo to act.
The altercation led to an ugly scene captured on still photos depicting Amadou Samba kicking and screaming as he appeared to have been dragged along the corridors of the Radisson Bleu Hotel which were quickly posted on social media sites. As we have described the incident in our Facebook page, to "humiliate Jammeh's staunchest and most reliable supporter is equivalent to a slap in the face of Yaya Jammeh."
As we have also predicted, Jammeh has taken it personally with a phone call to President Macky Sall to be followed immediately with a mission to Dakar in the coming days to protest what is being described in the Gambia government-controlled media as "an attack on Mr. Samba by criminals."
The Gambian dictator has expressed displeasure at Senegal for providing safe heaven for exiles from the repressive regime in Banjul even though it is in full compliance with international law. Jammeh has demanded, and he's been consistently denied by Senegal, the handing over of Gambian dissidents.
The mission to Senegal will "demand certain actions" from Senegal which will, most certainly, include the handing-over of some specifically-mentioned dissidents which will definitely be turned down by the Senegalese president. As my source succinctly put it, " the (diplomatic) fireworks is about to start."
