Persecuted Colonial Gambia Chiefs

Yıl 2024, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 3, 277 - 297, 30.09.2024

Akpojevbe Omasanjuwa

https://doi.org/10.30622/tarr.1497116

Öz

Through qualitative analysis, the paper examines the soured relationship between Gambian chiefs and their colonial masters against the backdrop of the legal implications of the disciplinary actions the latter meted out to the former. The article commenced with the theme, before addressing the legal concept of due process, which ensures fairness in the dispensation of justice. By disregarding normal standard legal procedures, the provisions of Magna Carter, and legal precedence, the colonial administrators inflicted draconian punishments on chiefs who dared think outside the box. From archival materials, colonial correspondences, and learned journal publications, the paper advanced explanations for the highhandedness of the colonialists, which degenerated into residency restrictions imposed on the chiefs. The absence of separation of administrative powers, caused by an acute shortage of European personnel, resulted in a situation whereby colonial rule in The Gambia amounted to a situation through which rule of man took precedence over the rule of law. The compelling approach resulting from the lack of collaboration among the chiefs and the colonial administrators fomented discord. The case laws cited in the paper indicate that colonialism in The Gambia remained a case of the strong exerting control over the weak, who had no option but to put up with the inevitable consequences of colonial rule. From different learned sources, instances of banishments in history and how the ancient practice was applied to The Gambia received attention with the aim of elucidating how the colonial administrators adopted legal standards which compromised fair play. With primary materials derived from The Gambia National Archive, instances of chiefs who were at loggerheads with the European colonialists was addressed hence, the objective of the paper is to ascertain the causes and nature of the soured relationship. The findings revealed why the local administrators grappled with situations that were at variance with the normal state of affairs in England. This partly account for the seemingly unorthodox tactics adopted while looking into a number of issues. Consequently, the activities of overseas colonial administrators were glossed over by the colonial office and British parliament as Gambians were perceived to be a people in need of civilization. Therefore, replicating the conditions in England in a frontier territory as The Gambıa will be tantamount to an exercise in futility, as they felt that they should be on higher rungs of the civilization ladder before they could comprehend European conditions. Why the situations obtaining in England are not applied hook line and sinker in the frontier territory was demonstrated. The chequered relationships from the perspectives of both parties was analysed leading to the concluding remarks emphasizing the overbearing approach of the colonialists caused by the lack of cooperation resulted in a bone of contention. This caused the standard of justice to depended on the equality of power to compel; and the strong did what they had the power to do while the weak accepted what was inevitable.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Colonialism, The Gambia, Banishment, Due Process, Colonial Rule, Residency Restriction Policy

Proje Numarası

None

Zulüm Gören Gambiya Sömürge Şefleri

Öz

Nitel analiz yoluyla, Gambiyalı şefler ile sömürgeci efendileri arasındaki bozulmuş ilişkiyi, ikincisinin birincisine uyguladığı disiplin cezalarının yasal sonuçları zemininde inceledi. Makale, adaletin dağıtılmasında adaleti sağlayan yasal süreç kavramını ele almadan önce konuyla başlamıştır. Sömürge yöneticileri, normal standart yasal prosedürleri, Magna Carta hükümlerini ve yasal emsalleri göz ardı ederek, kalıpların dışında düşünmeye cesaret eden şeflere acımasız cezalar verdiler. Bu makale, arşiv materyalleri, sömürge yazışmaları ve bilimsel dergi yayınlarından yola çıkarak, sömürgecilerin, şeflere uygulanan ikamet kısıtlamalarına dönüşen zorbalıklarına dair açıklamalar geliştirmiştir. Avrupalı personel eksikliğinden kaynaklanan idari güçler ayrılığının yokluğu, Gambiya'daki sömürge yönetiminin hukukun üstünlüğünden ziyade insan üstünlüğünün ön planda olduğu bir duruma dönüşmesine neden olmuştur. Şefler ve sömürge idarecileri arasındaki işbirliği eksikliğinden kaynaklanan zorlayıcı yaklaşım anlaşmazlıkları körüklemiştir. Çalışmada atıfta bulunulan içtihatlar, Gambiya'daki sömürgeciliğin, sömürge yönetiminin kaçınılmaz sonuçlarına katlanmaktan başka seçeneği olmayan zayıflar üzerinde güçlülerin kontrol uyguladığı bir vaka olarak kaldığını göstermektedir. Çeşitli kaynaklardan elde edilen bilgiler ışığında, tarihteki sürgün örnekleri ve bu eski uygulamanın Gambiya'ya nasıl uygulandığı, sömürge yöneticilerinin adil oyundan ödün veren yasal standartları nasıl benimsediklerini aydınlatmak amacıyla ele alınmıştır. Gambiya Ulusal Arşivi'nden elde edilen birincil materyallerle, Avrupalı sömürgecilerle anlaşmazlığa düşen şeflerin durumları ele alınmış, böylece bozulan ilişkilerin nedenleri ve doğası tespit edilmiştir. Bulgular, yerel yöneticilerin neden İngiltere'deki normal durumla çelişen durumlarla boğuştuğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bu durum, bir dizi meseleyi ele alırken benimsenen alışılmışın dışındaki taktikleri kısmen açıklamaktadır. Sonuç olarak, Gambiyalılar medeniyete muhtaç bir halk olarak algılandığından, denizaşırı sömürge yöneticilerinin faaliyetleri sömürge ofisi ve İngiliz parlamentosu tarafından görmezden gelinmiştir. Dolayısıyla İngiltere'deki koşulları Gambiya gibi bir sınır bölgesinde taklit etmek boşuna bir çaba olacaktı çünkü Avrupa koşullarını anlayabilmeleri için medeniyet merdiveninin daha üst basamaklarında olmaları gerektiğini düşünüyorlardı. Sömürgecilerin zorba yaklaşımı, nihayetinde sömürge tebaasının işbirliği eksikliğini daha da şiddetlendirerek anlaşmazlığa yol açtı.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Sömürgecilik, Gambiya, Sürgün, Yasal Süreç, Sömürge Yönetimi, İkamet Kısıtlama Politikası.

Destekleyen Kurum

None

Proje Numarası

None

Teşekkür

Dear Editor, This article was initially submitted to a journal for publication but later withdrawn as I encountered problems of communication with the handlers due to my inability to understand their writings in English Language. I write to certify that it is not under consideration elsewhere. The article's original title is Residency Restriction on Colonial Gambia Chiefs. (2) I could not locate the copyright form. Kindly send it to me.

Kaynakça

• Acts of English Parliament (1297). Magna Crater (1297). Legislation.Gov.UK. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Edw1cc1929/25/9/section/XXIX
• African Heritage (2016). Deportation of African heads of states retrieved from https://afrolegends.com/2016/10/11/deportation-of-african-heads-of-states/
• Ajayi, J. F. A. (1974). History of West Africa (Vol. II). England: Longman Group Limited.
• Aihe, D. O. (1971). Fundamental human rights and the military regime in Nigeria: What Did the Courts Say? Journal of African Law. 15 (2), 213-224. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/745192
• Al-Islam. Org (n. d). Zakat. Part 1 of 2 Retrieved from https://www.al-islam.org/islamic-laws-sayyid-ali-hussainisistani/zakat-part-i-ii
• Anderson, C. A. and Ricci, R. (Ed). (2016). Global history of exile in Asia, c. 1700-1900, 'Exile in Colonial Asia: Kings, Convicts, Commemoration. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. Retrieved from https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/exile-in-colonial-asia-kings-convicts-commemoration/
• Armstrong, M. F. (1963). Banishment cruel, and unusual punishment, University of Pennsylvania Law Review. (3) 758-786. Retrieved from. https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6847and context=penn_law_review
• Berger, R. (1969). Doctor Bonham's Case: Statutory Construction or constitutional theory? University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 117 (4), 521-545. Retrieved from https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6082and context=penn_law_review
• Betts, R. F. and Boahen A. A. (Ed.) (2000). Methods and Institutions of european domination. General history of Africa. Africa under colonial domination 1880-1935. Heinemann- UNESCO: Paris. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000064460
• Boahen, A. A. (Ed) (1985). Africa. under colonial domination 1880-1935 general history of Africa VII. Heinemann Educational Books Ltd and UNESCO Retrieved from https://www.sahistory.org.za/sites/default/files/archive_files/general_history_africa_vii.pdf
• Broadbridge, S. (2009). Double Jeopardy SN/HA/1082.Home Affairs Section. Retrieved from www.researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN01082/SN01082.pdf
• Brooks, G. (1975). Peanuts and colonialism: Consequences of commercialisation of Peanuts in West Africa. 1930- 1870, The Journal of African History, 16 (1), 29, 54. https://www.africabib.org/rec.php?rıd=18554651x
• Cameron, C. (2010). Banishment in Georgia: A new approach to domestic violence. Georgia State University Law Review, 27 (4), 803-828. Retrieved from https://readingroom.law.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2218and context=gsulr
• Carlton, W. C. (1981). Cumulative sentences for one criminal transaction under the double jeopardy clause: Whalem v. United State, 66 Cornell Law Review, 66 (4), 819-841. Retrieved from https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4245and context=clr
• Chapman, N. S. & McConnell, M. W. (2012). Due process as separation of powers, 121 Yale Law Journal. 1672- 1807. Retrieved from https://www.yalelawjournal.org/pdf/1080_y4sioof3.pdf.
• Cornell Law School (n.d). Amendment v. rights of persons. Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/anncon/amdt5b_user.html
• Crimes and Criminal Due Process, (1973). Golden Gate University Law Review 3 (1) 91-120.
• Edgerton, P. D. (2007). Banishment and the right to live where you want. University of Chicago Law Review. 74 (3) 1023-1055. https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5421and context=uclrev
• Floyd, B. N. (1966). The Gambia: A case of the role of historical accident in political geography. Journal of the Sierra Lone Geographical Association. 22-38. Retrieved from https://www.africabib.org/rec.php?RID=188259651
• Gabor, A. and Bruce M. (2009). Encyclopaedia of the Ottoman Empire. Facts On File, Inc. New York. An imprint of InfoBase Publishing.
• Gillespie, J. E. (1923). Transportation of English convicts after 1783, 13 Journal of American Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology 359.
• Henry, C. (1968) Black Law dictionary definitions of the terms and phrases of American and English jurisprudence, Ancient And Modern St. Paul (4th Edition) Minneapolis West Publishing Co. Retrieved from https://heimatundrecht.de/sites/default/files/dokumente/Black%27sLaw4th.pdf
• Hessick, C. B. and Hessick, F.A. (2011). Double jeopardy as a limit on punishment, Cornell Law Review (1) 45-86 Retrieved from https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/clr/vol97/iss1/2
• Letizia, D. J. (1953). Inherent power of the president to seize property. Catholic University Law Review, 3 (1). 27- 32. Retrieved from http://scholarship.law.edu/lawreview/vol3/iss1/4
• Liberty of Subject (n. d) Liberty of Subject (1354). Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Edw3/28/3/data.pdf
• Macbriar, R. (1839). Sketches of a Missionary’s travels in Egypt, Syria, and Western Africa. London: Simpkin, Marshall, and Co.
• Mackenzie L. D. (2001). Sentencing and corrections in the 21st century: Setting the stage for the future. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/189106-2.pdf
• Martin, E. C. (1927). The British West Africa settlements, 1750-1821: A study in Local Administration. London: Longmans Green and Co.
• Myddelton. D.R. (2012). Retrospective taxation. Retrieved from https://iea.org.uk/blog/retrospective-taxation
• Omasanjuwa, A. (2014). Colonial repression in The Gambia during World War II. West Africa Review, 25, 1-24.
• Omasanjuwa and Phebean K. J. (2014). Public Health delivery in colonial and post-colonial Gambia: A Case study of malaria fever. West Africa Review 24, 81-107.
• Park, J. M. (2016). Heart of Banjul: The History of Banjul, The Gambia, 1816 -1965. PhD History dissertation [Michigan State University]. Retrieved form Heart of Banjul : the history of Banjul, The Gambia, 1816-1965 (msu.edu)
• Pearce, R. D. (1982). The turning point in Africa British colonial policy 1938–48. Frank Cass and Company Limited.
• Richens, p. (2009). The economic legacies of the ‘thin white line’: indirect rule and the comparative development of sub-Saharan Africa. Economic History Working Papers 27879, [London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History].
• Southorn, Lady. (1952). The Gambia: The Story of the groundnut colony. London. George Allen and Unwin.
• Soyinka, W.(1972). The Man died. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers.
• The Gambia National Archive file Number Cso 4/459 (n. d). ---- Barra Turay
• The Gambia National Archive File Number CSO 3/110 (n. d). Saidi Njie. Head Chief of Niani.
• The Gambia National Archive File Number CRN1/6 (n. d). The Gambia National Archive File Number CRN1/6 Mansanjang Sannyang---Banishment of The Gambia National Archive file 2/1046. (n. d). The History of Kantora by Captain Jeffs M.G.
• The Gambia National Archive Number CSO 2/426. (n. d). Cham Kemo and others---Banishment.
• The Gambia National Archive number CSO 4/320. (n. d). Elias Johnson Annan------as to.
• The Gambia National Archive file Number CSO 3/70--- (n. d). Ansumana Danso, Head Chief Fulladu West: Report against and suspension of.
• Saliu, Y. S. (2000, July 1). Musa Molloh’s tomb to be updated. The Point Newspaper. Retrieved from https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/musa-mollohs-tomb-to-be-updated
• Thomas K. R. (2014). Bills of Attainder: The Constitutional implications of congress legislating narrowly. Congressional research service. report prepared for managers and committees of congress. Retrieved from https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R40826.pdf
• Tunde, O. (2003). Deposed Rulers under the Colonial Regime in Nigeria, Cahiers d’Études Africaines, Éditions De L’ehess XLIII (3), 171, 553-571.
• University of Wisconsin. (1994). Tenure and resource management in the Gambia: A case study of the kiang district. Madison: Land Tenure Center.
• Freudenberger, M. S. & Sheehan, N. A. Wright, D. R. (2004). The World and a very small place in africa: A History of Globalisation in Niumi, The Gambia. Armonk, New York: M. E. Sharpe.
• Zuckerman, E. M. (2016). Matter of Baim v. Eidens, Touro Law Review, 18 (2), 195-206. Retrieved form https://digitalcommons.tour