Jammeh's first defanteh was in 1994 after accidentally taking over. He arrested ministers and other high government officials and loaded them in lorries, confiscated their properties, and jailed/tortured some. Called them RATS and accused them of embezzlement and storing the loot in their homes in Pipeline.
Next deffanteh session was with the British. Jammeh accused them of ruling Gambia for 400 years and stealing our elephants, zebras, buffalos, lions, giraffes, hippos, cobras, rattlesnakes and ningkinankas. I guess they left the crocodiles because we have them plenty, and Jammeh now owns most of them, but all others mentioned are now extinct.
The 2012 deffanteh with the opposition was a good one too. Jammeh call them dogs and said he will not bark back at them. In that deffanteh, Jammeh said “Is it now that I am using government resources? If they [opposition] think that the resources I am using are government resources, what do they mean by government resources? You know they are never specific? They are here to serve foreign interest and I don’t care." Then who’s resources are they and what foreign interest are they (opposition) serving? Be specific please! Jammeh also let the opposition know that if he takes back what he owns at the state institutions, they will not function. Even the state broadcaster, GRTS, he claimed, is using his cameras and that The Gambia Government last purchased a vehicle for him in 1995. And, since then, he has been designing the type of vehicles he wants and they (manufacturers) do it the way he wants them. Borom Gambia Y!
How about the deffanteh with the domas (witches)? That one was weird! Rounded up some domas and gave them a cocktail mix to drink and spill the beans. How many were rounded up again and where are they now? And who ratted out the domas?
Then there is the ongoing deffanteh with Senegal. How many times have the border been closed sah? Who’s counting? But my favorite Senegal deffanteh was last November's, in which Jammeh insulted the Senegalese leaders. He said President Abdou Joof lost because he didn't listen to his advice. He accused President Wade of discussing him (Jammeh) with the whites, and he attributed Senegal’s problems to Mr. Wade’s “ndel fondong” (bald head). He even threatened to “nan” Nescafé on Mr. Wade’s “ndel fondong” too. Classic! And he called President Macky Sall a puppet. Deffanteh 101 right there!
Given this backdrop, I have some deffenteh suggestions: How about deffanteh with the economy and show it who’s boss? How about deffanteh with the crumbling roads? They need someone to set them straight. The electricity supply has been playing games for so long and needs to be wrestled down. Unemployment is pushing the youths into the Atlantic Ocean and needs some serious defanteh. The Banjul gutters have been stubbornly stagnant for God knows how long; who’s going to defanteh with them? So far, the Banjul Mosquitos are winning their deffanteh! This is just a tip of the “deffanteh iceberg”. Let the real “deffanteh games” begin!
