UDP UK INDICTS JAMMEH

A CALL FOR INDEPENDENT ENQUIRY INTO HUMAN RIGHT ABUSES IN THE GAMBIA OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS

 Says the UDP U.K Coordinator

Ex Gambian military officers must testify in all investigations. They have inside accounts into the military torturers, eliminators, killers which occurred in our country over the past fifteen years. Among this ex-military officers whose testimony future investigators may be interested to hear from are: Retired Col. Alpha Ibrahim Chongan, Retired Major Pa Modou Ann, Ex-Lt Kejau Touray, Retired Lt. Lalo Jaiteh, Ex-Lt Binneh Minteh, Retired Captain Alhagie Kanteh, exile Major Baginka, Sam Sarr Ex Lt. Col, Major Peter Singhateh and many others. There cooperation will be highly valuable. This people should start documenting all they know of military eliminators during their tenure in the army. Those who decline to take part could face extradition orders from wherever they live. They owe it to the Gambia to stand up for what they believe in; they cannot continue hiding away from the public.

Gambians who openly ignored the tyranny of Yahya Jammeh should reconsider that posture. No one is today oblivious to the crimes and acts of terror affecting all sections of the Gambian society. Supporters of Yahya Jammeh knows is a gangster leaders, ruthless and coldblooded.

Well meaning concerned ordinary members of the UDP U.K are alarmed by recent occurrence of high profile arrests and detention without trial of civilians and senior security personnel. We believe that the arrest of senior military personnel on cooked up allegations is detrimental to the security and stability of the Gambian nation. A UDP government will institute a disciplined army where promotion and remuneration will be based on merits.   A Proper professional army is what Gambians are calling for. We need an army that will leave politics to politician and the civilian population otherwise security officers retire from the army and join politics.

The Gambia arm forces are nowadays viewed by the civilian population with suspicion and contempt. The army is completely detached from the realities the general populace is concerned with on daily basis. The army is only concerned with the protection and perpetuation of Yahya Jammeh’s rule at the expense of the peace and security of the Gambia. This trend needs to be reverse, professionalism reinstituted.

The APRC government headed by former army officer Yahya Jammeh should inform the general public about the secretive nature of the arrests and detentions in Mile Two Central Prisons of military officers. The UDP U.K sees the demotion and sacking of decorated military officers as counterproductive and unwise. Citizens of the Gambia require adequate explanation of this new strategy by the shadowy government of Yahya Jammeh.

The Gambian judiciary is of late tarnished with issues of corrupt practises. The country has endured issues of miscarriage of justice and government interference in sensitive trials. The UDP U.K sees this latest episode as worrying and sad. The judiciary should be the last establishment where alleged corruption scandals should be associated with.

Huge amounts of Gambian resources spent on security is irrational and a waste. Vital funds are trapped in red tapes and wasteful unexplained expenditures.  If the Jammeh government obeys the universal norm of good governance and transparency, there will be no need for the continuous fear that grips our nation. Human beings cannot be held in captivity and you expect to live peacefully.

The UDP U.K is calling on the government to allow an independent body with the aid of external international organisations to help in establishing the true picture into the deaths and whereabouts of citizens of the Gambia. Among the people the UDP U.K would recommend a task force to look into are:

1.     Facts on how Ousman Koro Ceesay (RIP) died and who is responsible for his mysterious and untimely demise. Coroner’s report revisited and scientifically verified. Army officer Peter Singhateh is of interest here.

2.    The facts surrounding deaths of numerous members of the Gambia national army, among them Lt. Basiru Barrow (RIP, Lt, Dot Faal (RIP), Lt. Gibril Saye (RIP) , Sergeant Basirou Camara (RIP), Nyang (RIP) and the rest of the November 11 alleged coup plotters. Their corpse be exhumed and forensically examined. Witness accounts looked into, among them alleged co-conspirators. Prison colleagues of the co-conspirators be interviewed, the likes of Ex-Major Ibrahim Chongan, Lt. Kejau Touray, Lt. Binneh Minteh, Retired Col. Sam Sarr and many others. The movement of the victims be ascertain from close family members.

3. The untimely death of former Junta member Captain Sadibu Hydara (RIP) be also examined. His remains exhume for thorough analysis. Witnesses such former prison colleagues be interview famous of them, Sana Sabally and Col. Chongan.

3.     An independent examination into the deaths of the students who died in April 10-11 2000 (RIP) shooting by Gambia armed forces. Who are responsible and who gave the orders for the killings. The pathologist report scrutinise.

4.     The death of Journalist Deyda Hydara (RIP) in December 2004. Circumstances surrounding his death need to be known. Witness statements and evidences to be analysed forensically.

5.     Facts surrounding the disappearance of Journalist Ebrima Manneh of the daily observer. Ex work colleagues testimony documented.

6. Witness statements gathered on the whereabouts of Kanyiba Kanyi.

7.     Disappearance of five security personnel, Daba Marenah and co whom the government alleged escaped from a vehicle en-route to Janjanbureh prisons. Independent accounts be established into this disappearances, family and relatives be consulted.

8.     The untimely demise of Ex Army Commander Vincent Jatta (RIP) independently verified. He was a fit and well soldier, his corpse be exhumed and be subject to post-mortem by a competent pathologist. Coroner’s accounts independently collaborated.

9. The attacks in 1996 on the late UDP senior party executive member Sedia Sanyang (RIP) and other members of the UDP supporters at Denton Bridge be also investigated. Some of the party militants died due to injuries sustained at Denton Bridge inflicted on them by cowards doing the dirty work of Yahya Jammeh.

10. The independent panel should exclude elements of the Jammeh criminal enterprise. He has corrupted bright young ambitious Gambians who were his adversaries yesterday, but today are blinded by big office space and the false life that it comes with.

The UDP U.K will help in every way possible by lobbying to countries with advanced forensic equipment in establishing the true accounts of how these decent citizens of the Gambia died and the culprits brought to task. Latest DNA profiling of corpse matching it with victim’s health records are readily available.

“The unexplained death of a single Gambian is like the whole country lost a relative. The Gambia is a small inter-related country where a loss to one family affects every other” (Ousainou Darboe UDP leader). The UDP U.K is of the opinion that, the government hasn’t done enough in telling Gambians how this people named above died or disappeared. No evidence is publicly available for independent scrutiny. The age we lived in today is that of science and technology, and therefore those modern tools should be fully utilized where possible to ascertain the true picture into all deaths and disappearances took place.

The Commonwealth, U.N, World Bank, IMF, U.S AID, EDF and countless other NGO bodies will be informed of this proceedings. Their cooperation will be facilitated in pressuring the government to put the sorrows of bereaved families to rest.

Yahya Jammeh enjoys spending time with his children, why should he deprive ordinary Gambians that simple natural order of life? Law and order should never be compromised because of gangster leadership style.

We call on Yahya Jammeh to resign before next election and allow for free and for elections.  With him and his politicized military and security apparatus in place, free and fair election will continue to be hampered in the Gambia. If he is a patriotic citizen as he makes it out to be, then he should resign and allow Gambians to put in place a transition government whose job will be to clean up the electoral process and cleanly register new voters with equal playing field for all political parties. Restrictions placed on Diaspora Gambians in participating in the democratic process should be lifted.

No amount of face lifting development can compensate for the loss of a single Gambian’s life in suspicious circumstances. A UDP government with its formidable leader will not embark on a witch hunt or revenge on the culprits of human rights abuses. A tribunal will be set up to reconcile the wounded Gambian society.

Forward with the Gambia, forward with the United Democratic Party.

Suntou Touray

Coordinator

UDP-U.K

Contact: Gambiaforall@googlemail.com