GAMBIA: REMEMBERING BLOODY 11 NOVEMBER 1994

By Rtd. Lt. Binneh S. Minteh

Who Are Responsible For The Summary Executions of Officers & Men of The Gambian Armed Forces? PART I

The events of November 11^th 1994 marked the beginning of a gloomy era in the annals of Gambian history. But what does that break mean? In a conventional approach to international affairs, war took place among nations. But on the sad day of November 11^th 1994, very poor, uneducated and half baked high school graduates challenged surprised and summarily executed gallant sons of The Gambia. Their execution showed an awful form of violence and to assess that faithful day’s state of affairs, several questions are necessary. Who carried out the executions?  What justifies the summary execution of those gallant sons?

Of all the potential manifestations of innocence on the part of the AFPRC military junta that carried out the summary executions, a review of the standard bodies of evidence appealed in supporting the fact that members of the Armed Forces Patriotic Revolutionary Council ordered the summary executions of the officers and men of the Gambian armed forces on the sad day of November 11th 1994.  For the presentation before any legal institution, these evidences can be divided into four interrelated sets of arguments for any legal proceedings. They could be presented as follows: the presence of council members at Yundum Army Barracks; their assembling of soldiers, the threatening by Edward Singhateh and his firing of a shot; the arresting of Lieutenant Bassiru Barrow and others, the attack on Fajara Barracks in the wee hours of the night where Lieutenant Abdoulie Dot Faal and others were executed and finally the executions at either the Nyambai forest and the Yundum Barracks or both. These are the principal ways in which the military junta fully participated in the summary executions and torture of innocent Gambian citizens.

As a victim who survived the ordeal of November 11^th 1994, the new global order warrants my exposition of all such atrocities for the consumption of transnational civil society. It is not out of revenge, jealousy or contempt but a simple notion of truth and reconciliation. Societies, communities and people go through transformations in different ways and history has always taught us that most transformations could be rough and long. In the process, it is therefore important for public officials to be held accountable and take full responsibility for their actions. Events of November 11^th 1994 must also be fully accounted for.

No one can therefore deny the fact that the likes of President Yaya Jammeh, SOS Edward Singhateh, SOS Yankuba Touray, former vice chairman Sana Sabally, SOS Babucarr Jatta, owe an explanation to not only the Gambia and her people, but to the civilized international community. They must understand that the authority of states are declining and “their command over outcome is not what it used to be” (Susan Strange, 1). The issue of human rights has robustly transformed the international community and international human rights laws are rapidly gaining ground. Immunity should not be the umbrella to hide under as the question of immunity has become a heated debate in the international arena. It is also becoming a norm of the 21^st century for heads of governments and senior government officials be stripped of immunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In remembering November 11^th 1994 I urge all Gambians and friends of the Gambia to pay a one minute silence in prayer for the following gallant sons who were cold bloodedly murdered by the regime of President Yaya Jammeh.

1.        Lieutenant Bassiru Barrow

2.      Lieutenant Abdoulie Dot Faal

3.      Lieutenant Gibril Seye

4.      Second Lieutenant Bakary Manneh

5.      Second Lieutenant Buba Jammeh

6.      Second Lieutenant Momodou Lamin Darboe.

7.      Officer-Cadet Sillah.

8.      Warrant- Officer Nyang.

9.      Cpl Bassiru Camara and many others rank and files.

May their souls rest in perfect and eternal peace.

To the families of the above victims and to all peace loving Gambians, let us keep hope alive and continue praying for our lost loved ones. Events in this 21^st century should be a lesson to all that tyrants and dictators can no longer escape the radar of transnational justice. In conclusion, it is my contention that the five ruling members of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (Retired Colonel Yaya Jammeh, Retired captain Sana Sabally, Retired Captain Edward Singhateh, Retired Captain Yankuba Ouray, Deceased Retired Captain Sadibou Hydara) are fully responsible for the summary executions of November 11^th 1994.

MAY GOD BLESS THE CIVILIZED INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND DOWN WITH ALL DICTATORS AND TYRANTS IN THE WORLD.

Source:thegambiaecho.com

This article was first published by thegambiaecho.com in nov 2006.

Gambia News: Lt. General Tamba Will Not ‘Die Twice’ But Queries Gambian Judiciary after Sentence

Daily News --Lt. Gen. Lang Tombong Tamba, former defence chief said, the Gambia’s judiciary needs to be looked into because he doesn’t deserve a sentence for a crime he did not commit.
Tamba’s query came after the Special Criminal Division of the High Court in Banjul found him and Sarjo Fofana, former navy chief guilty on all four counts of treason related charges, eventhough they had denied the charges.
In a suspense-filled climax of a courtroom saga that has obsessed the nation, the eleven month-long trial yesterday ended with a twenty year jail sentence handed down on both men.
Tamba and Fofana were sacked in October 2009 following which they were put under trial for a coup attempt which occurred in 2006.  
The atmosphere which greeted their conviction and sentence was both chaotic and somber.  The former army Lt general was uptight and teary, yet he unsuccessfully managed to calm down a more teary crowed of relatives and sympathisers.     
“I am prepared to die,” the General cried out, attracting the attention of a blend of uniformed and un-uniformed state security personnel who grabbed their former embattled boss with every strength of theirs, put him into the vehicle and whisked him away.
Denied the allegations
Lt Gen. Tamba, who was the deputy chief of defence staff at the time of the 2006 coup, was widely seen as a key figure in the foiling of the attempted coup in 2006 allegedly led by former defence chief, Col Ndure Cham, now in exile.
His lawyer, Sheriff Tambedou said, Tamba was promoted as Chief of Defence Staff and also decorated by the President with MRG because of efforts he did in foiling the 2006 coup attempt.
 “I did everything to foil the 2006 coup,” Tamba himself said, shaking his head after his conviction. “How can I be part of a coup which I foiled.”
And Sarjo Fofana was the chair of the military court - Court martial - which presided over the case  in connection with the coup.

On the trial
Five state witnesses, including two former military men convicted by a military court in connection with the said coup attempt appeared as state witnesses, but refused to testify.
Major Bah, a military officer who had been sentenced to a 25 year jail term after he was found guilty of the said coup attempt - but later freed on a presidential pardon - had also testified as a state witness.
However, the defense counsel of Tamba and Fofana had argued that the state has no evidence against their clients, noting that none of the witnesses linked their clients to the said treason.
 “The prosecution has proved its case beyond all reasonable doubt and I hereby found the accused person guilty of the charges,” Justice Ikapala, held.
He relied on the testimony of Major Bah and the statement obtained from a treason convict Captain Yaya Darboe by state investigators.
Justice Ikpala agreed on the content of the statement, which he said, states that Tamba and Fofana were involved in the coup attempt.
Lawyers maintained innocence
“Sarjo Fofana did not take any step in the 2006 foiled coup and there is no evidence from the prosecution,” the lawyer for Fofana, Lamin Mboge told court even after the guilty verdict was passed.
He described his client as a finest and a highly responsible gentleman with a wife and children and an extended family who all depend on him.
Lt Gen. Tamba, on the other hand, is a wife to two, a biological father to six and adopted father to fifteen people most of whom are young, according to his lawyer.
He was condemned to death last year alongside seven others, including top security men and business tycoons, also for treason allegations he had denied.
Treason attracts a maximum penalty of death sentence in The Gambia. The presiding judge sentenced Tamba and Fofana as follows: 20 years for conspiracy, 20 years for treason and 10 years for each of the two counts of concealment of treason.
Since the sentences will run concurrently, both men will spend 20 years in jail, unless otherwise.   
However, Tamba is unconvinced that he has done anything wrong and could be heard calling for an overhaul of The Gambia’s justice system, which has come under heavy criticisms over the years.
“Have faith Tamba because one day justice will prevail,” a bloodshot eye old man tried to cheer him up, as if the judge’s decision was unjust.

Author: Binta Bah

Gambia: A storm brewed over The Gambia

By Doko Wato Sita

A storm brewed, and came over our little beloved nation in 1994. At first this impending storm was greeted with much dancing and joy in the streets, in villages throughout the length and breadth of the land ,for indeed a great drought had persisted for many years, where lack of transparency, accountability, and proper administration had made everyone yearn for a day like this, and where everyone thought that indeed the day of reckoning had arrived.

When the dust subsided, out emerged five young army men. They called themselves soldiers with a difference. Out of the core grew a man, reminiscent of Stalin, ignorant, ugly, ignoble, vicious, and calculating, bent on distorting the dream, if there was any; bent on eliminating all those who came with him from that impending storm. Where is Yankuba Touray, Sanna Sabally, Edward Singatey, and Sadibou Haidara? So also must we ask ourselves what happened to these who were with Stalin after Lenin’s death? This man, who is now the spitting image of Joseph Stalin, reflects all that is bad about The Gambian; greedy, selfish, jealous, mean, arrogant and materialist to the core. Now he sits and reigns supreme, over all and sundry, where none dear speak against him, not even cough up words of condemnation against him.

A bandit in sheep’s clothing, a buffoon in alligator shoes, with a name so long, that all hyenas and wolves in The Gambia can comfortably fit into. These hyenas and wolves are none other than the notable mafia clans and families who came to lend support to the dictator. Well educated and well exposed Gambians who have read better, and should know better, but taken with materialism, greed and the urge to ape the colonialist become the extended family to the dictator, working tirelessly in the boiler rooms of his government and administration, pouncing on innocent victims, yet heaping all the blame on the President. Let us take the case of Beatrice Allen. It hurts me so much that I weep as I write this letter.

A noble, clean spirited woman as Beatrice Allen, wanting to just pursue the right way, is maligned, humiliated and brought to court on trumped up charges by a corrupt clique of hoodlums. It would seem that for The Gambia, it is the women who are becoming the true defendants of justice, and the ones crying out for justice. Now we have another innocent victim Mr. Touray of Prestine Consulting, who left his comfortable and highly successful career in the United States to return to his homeland to contribute to that nation’s development. Let us face ourselves and tell the truth, Yaya did not put that man in jail, Gambians did, as they have done with many who came back home with intelligence, a new vision, a new product, or a new business, not of their own and not from their own (the mafia clan that is), and who they then see as threatening to their entrenched status. They are then impelled to seize on that returnee’s idea, concept, or assets. They are the mafia families, and from where Yaya draws all his technocrats.

 It is Gambians who put Mr Touray in jail. You see these morons, have no originality, no new ideas, no innovation, and like alligators, they wait for their next feed in terms of what other expatriate Gambian returnee with fresh concepts or ideas comes to establish himself or herself in The Gambia. These people feel that they are the divine ruling class of The Gambia. Unfortunately, Mr. Touray did not belong to the ruling families of The Gambia; he was neither a son, nor nephew of one of the powerful mafia clans, notwithstanding the fact that the sarahuleh community invested in him. That is the truth behind his arrest and broad daylight attempt to seize his rightful property and investment. Beatrice wanted to do things the right way. No corruption, no diverting of funds, and The Gambian does not like that. You don’t stand in his way to grabbing the money, and this is why she landed in trouble, and one man Yaya Jammeh cannot be responsible for it. It is the Gambians who put Beatrice in jail. How many Gambians have already suffered in the same manner, and how many more will these morons go after. I even venture to say that most of these people languishing in mile 2 were put there by Gambians, either out of jealousy, greed, selfishness, and indifference. What is the reluctance in us to call a spade a spade?. Why do we hide behind these long tirades against the dictator whilst leaving out the mafia ruling families? We shall not advance one inch in our war against the Jammeh regime without exposing these rotten, and evil clans dominating both the public and private sector in The Gambia. Who are these Gambians? A bunch of super morons, perpetuating a mafia clique of “ man am na, yow amu lo, yow bokulo, teh warulo am” mentality. I ask you, who is worse? the dictator, or the perpetrators and advantage takers under his rule, who use the system created by the Dictator to harass innocent citizens.

We must go beyond the realm of “Masla”, and start calling a spade a spade. I am itching to expose some of the members of this mafia clique. When the President pounces on people’s property, he is encouraged and emboldened by the policies of these mafia families, as they greedily line up behind him, waiting for the pickings and the apportioning of seized assets. If Yaya has his way and takes over Libya’s assets in The Gambia, watch how these vultures stay close behind him, to eagerly devour the pickings. There is reluctance with Gambian journalists to write about these mafia families; they remain sacrosanct, untouchable, as all the blame is then put on one man –Yaya Jammeh. Yaya is just head of the pack, and when regime change comes, these same mafia families will adapt and clinch to a new leadership as bees to honey. They will be the first to throw stones at the departing government, and profess their hypocritical allegiance to the new one. Therefore getting rid of Yaya Jammeh would not necessarily solve our current problems. As the noted African economist George Ayittey explains, the “vampire African states” are “governments which have been hijacked by a phalanx of bandits and crooks who would use the instruments of the state machinery to enrich themselves and their cronies and their tribesmen and exclude everybody else.” (“Hyena States” would be a fitting alternative in the African landscape.) Africa is ruled by thugs in designer suits who buy votes and loyalties with cash handouts.” You mafia clan families. We are sick and tired of you and your antics. Your fighting for leadership in the sports business in The Gambia landed Beatrice in trouble. A friend told of how he shared a flight with one of you, a short one from Dakar. There you were with your daughter. I am sure you were not on any official trip, yet there you were being picked up by that stupid status symbol “ VIP car”. It is this bourgeois attitude on the part of the mafia, privileged clan that is holding back the development of our country. You hide behind the dictator; quick to curse him privately, but ready to look like a follower in public. You have imposed yourself as the new colonialist on your people You mafia clan families, and ex-ministers, I am threatening to expose your names in my next article, as you sit there in The Gambia, munching discreetly and quietly on their mountains of wealth; I ask you where have you thought of reaching out to the masses, or contribute your own quota and money to The Gambia’s development? Haven’t you seen what the Bill Gates, the Ted Turners and countless of your counterparts in the Western world, from where capitalism and democracy came, are doing with their wealth? Government is not the sole driver of economic growth. It is the private sector that drives growth, and the wealthy play an enormous role in it.

Africa’s elite, with their burgeoning wealth never benefits the continent’s growth . As Mathew Jallow,our Gambian journalist, writer and Human Rights Activist noted “ African politicians and government officials have engaged in corrupt practices, and a 2004-2005 World Bank Report showed that $148 billion were embezzled out of Africa by politicians and bureaucrats; a significant amount being aid and loans earmarked for development activities to benefit Africa's vast poor”. now how selfish can you get? What did John F. Kennedy say to us, “ if a society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot protect the few who are rich”. But mark the words of our Rasta singers “ a hungry mouth is an angry man” The uprising we see in North Africa will be different when it comes south. Ours will be characterized mainly by “burning and looting”. That’s right. Go ahead and build your mansions, amass your wealth, and continue to ignore the masses.

 Go to your Fajara clubs, play your tennis as the colonialist did, and have your wives drive their cars with stupid vanity plates; spend your time throwing lavish parties; spend your inordinate time in these dark, and dingy “dakas”, drinking and whiling the night away; go to the mosques, dressed in resplendent khaftans exuding false religiosity and see if that will protect you when the mob comes. Who can protect you when the time comes?, when the dispossessed and long neglected youth from the interior of the country lose patience and invade the capital, I ask you where do you run to? A second storm is on the way, mark my words, and none of you backward Gambians shall be spared. Mother Africa shall exact from you, what you have failed to bestow upon her. Mark my words. 


Source:freedomnewspaper

Members of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF)Missing For Months Families in Desperate Situation

(Foroyaa) - Reliable information gathered by Foroyaa has it that five detainees who were or are still are members of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) namely, Warrant Officer Class (WO2), Bai Lowe, Staff Sergeant Abdoulie Jallow (alias “Jalino”), Lance Corporal Sang Mendy, Lance Corporal Anthony Mendy and Ex-Lance Corporal Abdoulie Sarr, a former soldier are currently held in detention incommunicado at the Mile II Central Prison for almost a year without trial. All five men were reportedly arrested sometime in July 2010.
According to the Family of WO2 Bai Lowe, a native of Fass Njaga Choi, in the Lower Niumi District of North Bank Region, was permanently stationed at the Kanilai Military post as one of the heads of a Special Unit of GAF. The family said they last communicated with him in late June 2010, since then they have never heard any thing about him, until a couple of months ago when they heard that he is in detention at the Mile II Central Prison. They said they have tried all avenues to have access to him at Mile II Prison but to no avail. The family indicated that any time they visited Mile II Prison to have access to him the authorities there would tell them to visit at another time. The family said they are desperate to have official confirmation of his whereabouts and condition.
The family of Staff Sergeant Abdoulie Jallow (alias “Jalino”), who hails from Giboro Kuta, in the Kombo East District of West Coast Region, said he went missing since the summer of 2010. They said they only heard that he is being detained at the Mile II Central Prison. They stated that they have tried to have access to him at his place of detention, but their efforts bore no fruits as the authorities always denied custody of him. They said they are not aware of any charges against him in any court of law.
The family of Lance Corporal Sang Mendy, a native of Tumani Tenda, in the Kombo East District said he was reportedly missing from his guard post at Kanilai village since July 2010. They said they could not establish the reason for his disappearance, but later realised that he is in custody at Mile II Prison. The family indicated that they are not aware of any charges against him since his arrest.
According to the family of Lance Corporal Anthony Mendy, an indigene of Kandongu Village, in Foni Bintang District, they heard of his arrest and subsequent detention from his colleagues in the Force after a long search. The family said it took months before they could establish his whereabouts. They said they gathered information from some of his colleagues that he was arrested from Kanilai and is now being held at the Mile II Central Prison. They said they have visited the prison on several occasions to see him, but the prison authorities would not allow them access. They asserted that they could not also get any explanation from the prison authorities on the denial of access to him. They said they have constantly visited the prison to have access to him, but to no avail.
The family of ex-Lance Corporal Abdoulie Sarr, a native of Mbollet-Ba Village , in the Lower Niumi District of North Bank Region, said the dismissed soldier was arrested at his residence in Banjul at the early hours of 14 July 2010. The family said Sarr had joined the Army on 4 February 2001, and posted as State Guard up to 8 June 2010, when he was discharged from the Force. They said he has already acquired a job with Gam Petroleum Company and was to commence work a week before his arrest. The family indicated that the dismissed soldier received a phone call at around 1:30am, from an unknown person demanding to know his location. They said Sarr told the caller that he was at his residence in Banjul and within half an hour there was a knock on the door. They said upon opening the door, four armed men appeared in military uniform. They said they recognize the four men as members of State Guard Unit headed by one Lieutenant Buba Bojang. They said Lieutenant Bojang told Sarr that he was under arrest on the orders of the then State Guard Commander Brigadier General Lamin Bojang.
The family said he was told that the reason for his arrest was that his half brother Musa Sarr, also a soldier, had a problem at his guard post in Kanilai and could not be traced. The family said since that day they never set their eyes on him, but only heard that he is being detained at Mile II Central Prison. They indicated that they are not aware of any charges against him neither was he taken before any Court of Law. The family questioned how Sarr could be linked to the problem of his half brother. They said the run away soldier was staying with his family at a separate place from them and has not visited them since his brother was discharged from the army.
The families of all five men said they are not aware of any charges against their loved ones and pleaded with the concerned authorities to release them from custody.
The Position of the Army PRO
According to the GAF PRO, Lt Omar Bojang no army personnel is under detention at the Central Prison at Mile 2. He said the persons mentioned in the article are not current members of the Gambia Armed Forces.

Editor´s Note
The law is clear. No one should be detained for more than 72 hours without appearing before the courts or be released. Charge them or release otherwise the government will continue to be accused of flouting the constitution and the laws of the land. 

Gambia News: Five Military Men Missing for Nine Months

Daily News - Five military men have been missing for nine months. They are being detained at the State Central Prison of Mille 2 in Banjul; reliable sources informed The Daily News.
The missing military men are identified as: Warrant Officer (WO2) Bai Lowe, Staff Sergeant Abdoulie Jallow, Lance Corporal Sang Mendy, Lance Corporal Antony Mendy and ex-lance Corporal Abdoulie Sarr.
They were arrested since July 8, 2010 at the military post in President Jammeh’s native village of Kanilai, our sources revealed. 
The Daily News could not confirm the reason for their arrest.  And family members of the detained soldiers said, for nine months, they have not been in touch with their loved ones and could not trace their whereabouts.
“We have no idea why they have been arrested and we do not know where they are being held in custody,” a relative to one of the detained military officers whose identity is hidden for security reasons told The Daily News.
 The Daily News had earlier in February, contacted the military spokesperson to confirm the story. But he, instead, asked for more details such as the names of the detainees, before he could comment on the story.
This was done and when he was contacted on Saturday 16 April, the army spokesman Bojang asked this reporter to meet him at the army headquarters in Banjul.

Author: Saikou Ceesay