Part I
Alagi Yorro Jallow
Fatoumatta: The tenure of former President Yahya Jammeh is a placing paradox in The Gambia’s political panorama. On one hand, he possessed a exceptional potential to pinpoint and appoint extremely certified, skilled people to important positions inside his administration. On the opposite, his penchant for patronage and loyalty typically resulted within the appointment of people woefully unfit for his or her roles, together with a former sergeant with restricted {qualifications} and cupboard ministers missing primary literacy. This duality of excellence and mediocrity paints a fancy portrait of a pacesetter who, whereas valuing competence, regularly undermined it. This article examines the intricacies of Jammeh’s appointments and their far-reaching penalties on the civil and overseas companies of The Gambia.
Former President Yahya Jammeh displayed an plain expertise for recruiting certified and seasoned bureaucrats, technocrats, and professionals into his administration. However, he was equally infamous for his propensity to take advantage of and finally discard these people, typically recycling them earlier than casting them apart like expired commodities. Such people had been disparagingly labeled as “intellectual prostitutes.” Concurrently, Jammeh’s heavy reliance on patronage and a reward-based appointment system eroded the integrity of senior civil servants, public officers, and overseas service diplomats. He stuffed these important roles with these keen to do his bidding—public sycophants, demagogues, and opportunists.
Jammeh’s reign was marked by his damaging tendencies, as he sought to dismantle the soundness crafted throughout Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara’s 30-year governance, plunging the nation into chaos. Yahya Jammeh has confirmed to be a gravedigger of the state, amplifying a tradition of corruption and perpetuating the cult of cash. He prioritized political loyalty over competence, permitting pals and cronies to thrive on the expense of efficient governance. Ministerial and ambassadorial positions had been entrusted to people missing related expertise, inserting them in pivotal roles far past their capabilities. After 22 years in energy, Jammeh vacated the presidency, abandoning an almost irreparably broken civil and overseas service. He appointed people with no diplomatic acumen as ambassadors, creating an setting the place any Gambian might ascend to a ministerial function via mere connections. His stubbornness led to the elevation of buffoons and ignoramuses—people ill-suited for the obligations entrusted to them. Today, many of those former ambassadors and ministers have grow to be the topic of ridicule, but they now wield their titles to boost their resumes, positioning themselves as credible figures, regardless of the farce of their appointments.
During the oppressive rule of Yahya Jammeh, Gambia’s overseas service devolved right into a shadow of its potential, as ambassadors had been appointed primarily based on loyalty and patronage fairly than advantage. This reckless disregard for competent diplomacy resulted in a cadre of people who lacked the important gravitas, training, expertise, and political acumen required for efficient worldwide illustration. The systematic dismantling of each civil and overseas companies beneath Jammeh left them in a state of dysfunction that’s nearly irreparable. It is astonishing to contemplate {that a} former sergeant from the defunct Gendarmerie—somebody with out even the command authority of a platoon—was appointed as an envoy to esteemed nations comparable to China, France, and the United States. This displays a troubling development harking back to the absurdity witnessed in Thailand, the place King Vajiralongkorn appointed his pet canine, Foo Foo, as Air Chief Marshal within the Royal Thai Air Force. The lamentable actuality as we speak is that many of those former ambassadors appointed throughout Jammeh’s regime endure from vital deficiencies in important considering and cognitive expertise essential for understanding present affairs and geopolitics. Their incoherent messaging pollutes our airwaves and social media, additional muddling public discourse. In stark distinction, different nations prioritize the number of extremely certified people as ambassadors to Gambia.
These representatives typically operate not simply as diplomats however as intelligence operatives, participating in way over mere political gossip. They are adept at placing offers that improve their nations’ pursuits and solidify financial alternatives. Unfortunately, many Gambian ambassadors are merely political deadweights—kin of the ruling elite or loyal civil servants recycled from numerous departments just like the army or parastatals. Appointments are sometimes made at moments when these people are due for dismissal or retirement, or to create house for these from favored tribes or connections.
Fatoumatta: While a choose few could also be competent, they’re overshadowed by the bulk who lack the required {qualifications}. Whereas different nations be sure that their ambassadors possess related tutorial credentials and expertise, Gambia’s diplomatic appointments typically disregard these essential elements. For occasion, sending representatives to China or Taiwan with out a grasp of Mandarin or an understanding of Chinese tradition and historical past isn’t just imprudent; it’s irresponsible. Throughout Jammeh’s tenure, the appointment of incompetent, inexperienced, and even buffoonish diplomats to key nations turned the norm. These people, missing a strong academic basis in public diplomacy, had been chosen solely for his or her unwavering loyalty to Jammeh, their sycophancy, or their demagoguery. It stays completely perplexing why somebody with the restricted credentials of a junior protocol officer was dispatched as an envoy to important nations like China, France, and the United States—nations that deserve our absolute best illustration.
The tenure of our ambassadors to the United States has been extensively deemed a failure by many Gambians residing within the U.S. In stark distinction, ambassadors from Western nations typically return residence to pen insightful books that enrich our understanding of worldwide relations. Yet, I wrestle to recall a single Gambian ambassador who has authored a scholarly work worthy of research in college diplomatic packages. As Africans, we appear to undertake a complacent angle, granting people free reign to take pleasure in privileges in overseas lands with out holding them accountable. Do we even possess a framework for evaluating the efficiency of our ambassadors? Are there clear goals guiding our missions overseas? Are we diligently working in the direction of attaining these targets? Africa is residence to a number of the brightest minds globally. Regrettably, many of those distinctive people fall sufferer to the constraints of circumstance, typically caught in second-rate establishments, battling inside politics, whereas bland representatives are elevated and dispatched to important nations with out a elementary understanding of their roles.
Fatoumatta: What We Expect from Former Diplomats and Ambassadors.
Former diplomats and ambassadors who’ve served in developed nations have the potential to dramatically affect society after their formal careers. Here are pivotal roles they’ll undertake: They can supply their experience as advisors to governments, political leaders, and organizations on worldwide relations, diplomacy, and overseas coverage. Their wealth of expertise and nuanced insights could be invaluable in shaping nationwide methods and strengthening worldwide partnerships. Former diplomats ought to actively contribute to academia, sharing their huge data and experiences at universities and establishments. By mentoring aspiring diplomats and younger professionals, they’ve the ability to domesticate the following technology of leaders on this area. Engaging with suppose tanks and analysis organizations permits them to play a key function in shaping coverage analysis and evaluation. Their distinctive views can illuminate world traits and facilitate the event of well-informed coverage suggestions. Through public talking engagements, authorship of books, articles, and opinion items, former diplomats can educate the general public on the complexities of worldwide affairs and world points. Their views can enrich public discourse and promote a extra knowledgeable citizenry. Many former diplomats have interaction in advocacy work for pivotal causes, comparable to human rights, environmental sustainability, and world growth. By collaborating with nonprofit organizations, they’ll drive important change and elevate consciousness on important points. Given their intensive worldwide expertise and networks, former diplomats are well-positioned to imagine roles inside multinational companies, providing strategic steerage on world operations and market entry. Their negotiation and mediation expertise could be indispensable in resolving conflicts.
Moreover, they’ll have interaction with worldwide organizations and governments to mediate disputes and foster peace. Promoting cultural change and understanding throughout nations, via organized occasions, they’ll domesticate mutual respect and appreciation amongst totally different cultures. However, the unlucky actuality in Gambia is that many former diplomats grow to be mere job seekers and political mouthpieces, prioritizing private achieve over societal contributions. This stark deviation from their capability for significant engagement is a disservice to their potential and to the nation as an entire
Fatoumatta: The story of Yahya Jammeh’s appointments provides invaluable classes in regards to the energy of meritocracy in efficient governance. While he correctly chosen extremely educated and proficient people, his desire for loyalty over competence finally hindered the expansion of civil and overseas companies. This highlights a compelling alternative for The Gambia to embrace a future the place the brightest minds can actually thrive. As we transfer ahead, it’s essential to construct a governance system that champions advantage and excellence, paving the best way for progress and stability. By studying from our previous, we will create an inspiring and inclusive setting that empowers everybody to contribute to a brighter future for all. Let’s embrace this journey collectively!