Breaking News: Gambia on The Brink of Civil War - Chief Tabora Manneh Among
Hundreds Arrested, As Jammeh Continues 'Cleansing Gambia of Witches'
*Yankuba Jambang, Editor & Publisher* , Senegambianews.com Published
02/09/2009 - 8:38 p.m. GMT
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     Good old days: Ex- Lower Niumi Chief Tabora Manneh presenting a check
of D180,000 on behalf of Badibou business community in June 2006 in
preparation of AU Summit
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*In what appears to be a prelude to a costly civil war, armed military
personnel, accompanied by acclaimed witchcraft doctors from Guinea-Conakry,
have been randomly arresting people suspected of involvement in sorcery, and
this time, the former chief of Lower Niumi, Alhaji Tobora Manneh is among
hundreds of those arrested.*

Chief Tabora Manneh was arrested on Thursday together with Fabakary Nana
Sonko and his elder sister on suspicion of practicing witchcraft agaisnt
president Yahya Jammeh, said our correspondent. They are now being detained
at Banjul police headquarters together with hundreds of others arrested from
the towns of Barra and Essau, 5 and 6 nautical miles east of the capital
Banjul. Tabora Manneh, according to our correspondent, was ordered to pay
D5,000 in order to be released, but he refused to comply with the order.

Armed soldiers and witchcraft doctors attired in red garments descended on
Essau and arrested scores, causing pandamonium as people ran helter-skelter
from a social gathering during a naming ceremony. Many had sustained
injuries of verying degress as a result.

A resident of Serrekunda who hailed from the trouble town of Barra, told
Senegambia News that he was traveling home to defend his parents, saying
Badibou citizens are all heading home to take a stand against this
"madness". Gambians, he said, must take up arms now to remove Yahya Jammeh
at all costs as he claimed, "he's gone really, really crazy and we cannot
afford a mentally deranged president".

Similar incidents have been reported in the Kombo South village of Jamburu,
where 60 people including the Imam, were arrested on January 28 on suspicion
of practicing witchcraft. They were then taken to a compound belonging to
the former majority leader Baba Jobe in Kololi, where they were forced to
drink from bottles of concocted herbal medicine.

Scores of people have also been arrested or kidnapped in Foni Kansala
District on January 26.

These state sponsored kidnappings did not spare worshipers at Serrekunda
mosque, nor were the police stations in Banjul and Serrekunda, where senior
officers were forcefully undressed in public and had their charms or jujus
confiscated. Even some guards at the State Central Prison, Mile 2 had been
searched for charms.

Army Leutenant Ebrima Solo Bojang is said to be leading these arrests,
assisted by a National Intelligence Agency officer called Mr. Bah.
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