Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Jammeh's criminal enterprise includes trading in sex

Recent chilling revelations about the Jammeh regime are further confirmation that he is operating a criminal enterprise that preys on under-aged girls, and on other vulnerable women who are lured by promise of jobs in either the protocol department of the Foreign Ministry or as 'secret agents'.

Sadly, the sex ring is operated and overseen from State House by the Head of the Civil Service, thus immunizing the operation from public scrutinizing and from the easy reach of the international community's prying eyes.

The Daily Observer, the official mouthpiece of the dictatorship, appears to be the recruitment agency of the ring  through advertisements of 'vacancies' within State House.  The peculiar nature of the ads raises eyebrows because it requires applicants to be aged 13 and above who must attach two passport-sized and two full length photos as if they are applying for a modelling job.  These young women are of school-going age who are being encouraged to drop out of school to venture into the unknown by a person who claims to be the champion and the protector of Gambian women - Yaya Jammeh.

The young girls who meet the test are sent to Jammeh's home village of Kanilai where they are housed in bungalows where they act as sex slaves.  The pattern of behavior where girls and women are used as sex slaves can be found within the security elements of the regime.  These vulnerable members of society have been known to have been kidnapped by rogue soldier and sexually abused.  Jammeh set the pattern and standards which are emulated by his soldiers.  It is an acceptable if not a required behavior among them.

Under-aged and young women are the silent victims of heinous crimes perpetrated by an equally brutal that uses rape as an instrument of suppression.  The dangers posed by the regime of Yaya Jammeh is not only limited to The Gambia but has other regional security ramifications which we will be addressing separation. Meanwhile, every effort must be exerted to remove this illegitimate and criminal government from power,