‘Yahya killed and raped our people’, Alagie Barrow swats-down anti-coup rhetoric

The chairman of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), John Charles Njie is taking heat for his condemnation of the reinstatement of army officers found guilty of trying to overthrow the Jammeh regime.

Alagie-Saidy Barrow, a U.S Army veteran who took part in the abortive December 30th coup in 2016 riposted:

“It is so small-minded and myopic to paint anyone that has participated in a coup with the same brush and using such simpleton and lazy thinking along the lines of “wrong is wrong.” For them, it is wrong for slaves to revolt against slave masters because it is against the law. It was wrong for Mandela to fight apartheid because it was the law. It was wrong for Rosa Parks to refuse to give up her seat on a bus because “wrong is wrong.” Amilcar Cabral should have just obeyed colonial laws and accept the wanton abuse of his people. It was wrong for Aline Sitoe Jatta to resist the colonialists because “wrong is wrong.” Let’s just paint everyone with the same brush, eh?

Here’s the thing: Some of you had the luxury of obeying the law and being good citizens while Yaya killed and raped our people just like some Blacks accepted slavery and other Blacks connived with apartheid authorities against Mandela. However, there are others whose conscience simply could not afford that luxury.

It’s alright to sit high atop some law high horse and claim to be law-abiding while the same law is being bastardized right before your eyes if your conscience can afford it. But do not insult the intelligence of victims who chose to fight back against the very lawbreakers you pretend not to see. If we cannot look inward to see what we could have done as individuals while our people get raped and killed, perhaps we should not be playing holier than thou and demonizing others who at least tried to stop the rape and killing of their own people.

I can only hope that this was not the only contribution Mr Njie made to this SSR process! If it was, they should ask for their money back if he got paid to attend! Talk about misplaced priorities!”