Halifa Sallah was seen by many as Gambia’s defacto President during the political impasse while President Adama Barrow was living in Senegal
The leader of People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism, Halifa Sallah, has disclosed for the first time that the “coalition security” team have caught a mercenary at the home of President Adama Barrow during the 2016 political impasse.
A veteran Gambian politician made the disclosure at a press conference on Sunday while praising the young people who have volunteered as security personnel for the coalition.
Sallah said those young people deserve “national honours”.
“We even caught some mercenaries at Barrow’s home with their communication sets…,” he said.
He added that had to “humanized” the mercenaries and free them, knowing that such approach could change the minds of others he is working with.
“So you can see the danger that those young people were subjected to at that material time…,” he said.
“Whenever new came that war was evident, they had to be called so that they move into the surrounding areas because they would have been the first targets. So while the rest of the population were in their homes, they were others on the fire and their history is yet to be written but it will be written. They were ready to give their lives not knowing what the ultimate results will be.”
The elder statesman was addressing a press conference following a congress by PDOIS last week. Sallah said they explained to their members the party’s role in the coalition that brought regime change in the country.
He said it is now President Barrow’s responsibility to exercise direction and control over an executive and prepare the ground for the change that the coalition aspires.
However, the veteran politician said shortcoming of the coalition started when President Barrow started appointing people unilaterally.
“Thus the president became an executive president instead of a transition president… The coalition is in the past and not in the present…,” he added.
Sallah said the reforms that the coalition aspired following a regime change never happened.
But the veteran politician said his generation has fulfilled its promise to the motherland by ensuring that the sovereign powers of the people are respected and realised.
He said their resolution at their congress going forward is to create a New Gambian and building a New Gambia that will serve everybody regardless of social status or ethno-linguistic background.
Meanwhile, the veteran politician also explained the economic policy of PDOIS as a socialist party.