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| Protesters at High Court today |
Our initial reaction to Jammeh's decision not to grant bail was that while the decision may be good for our politics i.e. the opponents of this vile, corrupt and incompetent regime, it is bad for Ousainou, Femmi Peters, Kemeseng Jammeh and the rest of the members and supporters in custody who must endure the inhumane treatment at the hands of Jammeh and his henchmen.
Even if Ousainou and co were to be granted bail. they would have refused to budge until Jammeh produces Solo Sandeng - dead or alive - including all of those unaccounted for. To avoid such a scene at the High Courts today where a record crowd of protesters are expected to be in the streets of Banjul, Jammeh elected to continue to hold them in custody to buy time with the hope that tempers will cool off and crowds subside. In short, he is dying to change the subject.
Jammeh's chances of success at changing the narrative are rather slim because of Solo Sandeng, the youth leader and member of the executive of Gambia's largest opposition party who many claimed to have died while in custody but who the regime claim is alive and well. Yet Jammeh has been unable to produce him - dead or alive - as one of the demands of Ousainou Darboe.
Extricating himself from this logjam is Jammeh's biggest challenge going forward because Solo Sandeng was tortured at the NIA under the supervision of Yankuba Badjie, the Director General of the notorious National Intelligence Agency.
Meanwhile protests demonstrations for the unconditional release of the opposition party leaders, supporters and the unaccounted victims will continue. A new demand now emanating from the opposition supporters is that Jammeh must step down. He's unfit to continue to lead Gambia.
#JammehMustGo
