Fact·Sheet On The Gam·bi·a Since [ 1994 ]: Hu·man Rights A·buses
[Assassinations and Extra-judicial Killings]:
January 2000: Lt. Almamo Manneh was executed by officers from the
Presidential Guards unit, following accusations of a coup plot. His wife
refutes government claims of a coup plot, and described how her husband
was dragged from their house and killed. His body has not been returned to
the family for burial.
January 2000: Cpl. Dumbuya an alleged co-accused of Lt. Almamo Manneh was
shot dead in broad day light in a crowded market place in Banjul the
Capital.
March 2000: Ebrima Barry a seventeen (17) year old student was arrested by
fire department Officers and tortured to death whilst in their custody.
The failure of government to bring charges led to the April 10& 11 student
demonstrations, in which 14 student were shot to death by security forces.
Charges were finally brought against the alleged killers but they were all
acquitted.
April 2000: Fourteen (14) demonstrating students were shot dead by state
security forces and another 28 seriously injured. The demonstration was
called by the National Student Union (GAMSU) after a student Ebrima Barry
was tortured whilst in police custody resulting in his death. The report
of a Commission of Enquiry set up to investigate the incident recommended
the prosecution of named officers responsible for the shootings. This
recommendation was rejected by the government and hastily enacted an Act
of Parliament, indemnifying the named officers, and everyone involved in
the incident.
May 1997: Yahya Drammeh, reportedly killed while in detention at the Mile
Two Central Prisons. He was accused of treason against the State, in
connection with an armed attack at the Farrafenni Military Barracks.
Official cause of death was blood disorder, but this was refuted as signs
of severe beatings and torture were visibly present.
June 1995: Lt. Sadibou Haidara, until his arrest and detention for
allegedly attempting to kill the president, he was a member of the Armed
Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) which seized power in July 1994.
He was reportedly tortured to death whilst in detention in the Central
Prison at Mile Two.
June 1995: Ousman Koro Ceesay, until his assassination, he was a member of
the government and Secretary of State for Finance. Ceesay was allegedly
bludgeoned to death, by identified senior members of the Junta, who were
under investigation for financial rregularities. His charred corpse was
discovered in the burnt-out shell of his official car. No investigation
has ever been carried out on his mysterious death.
November 11th 1994: Eight Commissioned Officers and three Soldiers of the
Gambia National Army (GNA) are alleged to have been summarily executed by
forces loyal to the then military junta, and their bodies buried in a mass
grave in the army barracks in Yundum, following an alleged coup attempt.
Those allegedly executed include Lt. Gibril Saye, Lt. Dot Faal, Lt.
Basirou Barrow, Sgt. Ebrima Ceesay, and Cpl. Lamin Bojang. The alleged
victims have not been seen since and cannot be accounted for by the GNA.
Their whereabouts not known by their families. The GNA refuses to make any
statements regarding the named soldiers.
Ebrima Jallow a taxi driver was brutally stabbed to death by two soldiers of the GNA at his home in the town of Serrekunda. The case is still in court.
[Disappearances]
Phoday Makalo, a member of the ruling APRC National Executive has not been
seen or heard from either by his wife, extended family or close friends,
since early in the year 2000. An exile member of the Presidential Guard
unit, reported that Mr. Makalo has in fact been killed. No investigation
has ever been carried out by his party or the police into his
disappearance.
[Arbitrary Arrests, Detention and Torture]
May 2001: Dodou Kassa Jaata, United Democratic Party (UDP) youth leader in
the town of Bakau, was arrested and detained by the National Investigation
Agency (NIA) for speaking against the high-handedness of the security
forces. During his detention, he was subjected to repeated beatings and
torture.
April 2001: Alhagie Nyabally, the former vice president of the Gambia
Student Union (GAMSU), was arrested and detained for three days by the
NIA, following the commemoration of the first anniversary of the student
massacre, for making a speech in which he called the president a hypocrite.
He reported being beaten and tortured by senior officers of the NIA.
June 2000: Dumo Saho, Ebrima Yarbo, Ebrima Barrow & Momodou Marenah (all
civilians), and eight others were kidnapped and detained incommunicado for
two months before their detention was made public. This followed denials
by the various security services of their detention. It later emerged that
they were being held by the NIA. Shortly after their detention was
announced, they were brought before a hastily convened Magistrates Court
(after working hours), charged with Treason and remanded in custody. They
have been held in solitary confinement since their abduction.
May 2000: Ousainou Darboe, UDP leader and a delegation of party supporters
on a campaign tour of the Upper River Division, were ambushed by Libyan
trained government agent provocateurs (The 22nd July Movement), led by
Baba Jobe. In the ensuing skirmish one supporter of the governing APRC
party was killed. As a result, the entire UDP delegation was detained for
several days .The travelling UDP party delegation, including the party
leader were later charged with the murder of the APRC supporter.
April 2000: Following student demonstrations in and around Banjul the
Capital, many students were detained at various police stations and many
of them were tortured and subjected to severe beatings. Some of them
sustained serious injuries. Also in the provincial town of Brikamaba, both
students and some of their parents were rounded up by the police and
soldiers, detained and subjected to serious torture whilst in detention.
April 2000: Buba Samura (now deceased), UDP National Assembly Member for
the constituency of Kiang East was arrested by the NIA, for putting the
blame for the student riots on the government. He was detained for six (6)
days without charge.
February 2000: Momodou Wallom Jallow, Independent National Assembly Member
for the constituency of Niamina district was arrested by the NIA and
detained for four days without charge.
January 2000: Lt. Landing Sanneh, was arrested and charged with Treason.
His case opened at the High Court in May 2000, but all charges were
dropped. He was later charged with the same offence only this time he was
brought before a Court Marshalled. The trial started last month.
September 1999: Musa Jallow, a regional Chairman of the opposition
National Reconciliation Party (NRP) was arrested and detained for two days
and charged with insulting the president. A member of the National
Assembly who visited him in detention reported that he showed signs of
severe torture.
May 1999: Shyngle Nyassi: UDP youth leader was detained by the NIA for
more than three weeks during which time he was subjected to persistent and
serious torture. Following his release, he was unable to walk and had to
use crutches.
August 1998: the Imam of Brikama Mosque Imam Karamo Touray, and some
elders of the town of Brikama were arrested at the dead of night by the
security forces, accused of demolishing parts of the mosque in which Imam
Touray leads Friday prayers. They were brought before a magistrate the
next day sunday (a non-working day in the Gambia) and remanded in custody
at the Mile Two central prisons. They spent twenty-four days in solitary
confinement without charge.
1998: Lamin Waa Juwara: The opposition United Democratic Party (UDP)
Organising Secretary was arrested from his home in Brikama, and on the way
to Central Prisons at Mile Two, he was subjected to severe beating by
someone he later identified as Baba Jobe. Baba Jobe is the Chairman of the
ruling APRC youth wing (22nd July Movement). During the assault, Juwara
had his fingers broken.
June 1997: Shyngle Nyassi; Yusupha Cham; Wassa Janneh; Dodou Sanyang; and
Mrs Sarjo Kunjang Sanneh, all prominent members of the main opposition
United Democratic Party (UDP) were arrested in Brikama about 32km from the
capital Banjul and detained at the NIA headquarters in Banjul, where they
were subjected to torture and serious beatings by members of the
presidential guard under the supervision of a senior NIA official now
regional commissioner of Upper River Division.
April 1997: Pa Modou Faal, Secretary General of the Confederation of
Gambian Trades Unions (CGTU), was arrested and detained for twenty-six
(26) hours at an undisclosed location by the NIA. He was later released
without charge.
March 1997: Demba Kanyi, Musa kanyi and Pa Sorie Ceesay, all UDP members,
were arrested by plain clothes NIA officers as the leave the residence of
the party leader. They were detained for days and later released without
charge.
January 1997: Buyageh Sidibeh UDP constituency Chairman for the village
Gambisarra, Upper River Division (URD) and other; Galleh Ceesay UDP
constituency Chairman for the village of Garawol also of the URD and
others were arrested on the day of the National Assembly Elections and
detained without charge until the results of the elections were announced.
December 1996: Pa Modou Faal, Secretary General of the CGTU, was again
arrested by the NIA and detained incommunicado for nine days. He was later
released without charge.
September 1996: Sidia Sanyang & Butay Jafuney, (the former Administrative
Secretary of the party and a traditional drummer respectively), including
other senior members of the party and several supporters, were ambushed at
the Denton Bridge (the only access into the Capita Banjul), on the eve of
the last presidential elections and subjected to severe beatings and
inhumane treatment by soldiers of the Gambia National Army (GNA) and NIA
Agents. The two named individuals later died as a result of the injuries
they sustained from the beatings. Many other supporters sustained serious
injuries requiring hospital treatment.
September 1996: Kemeseng Jammeh, UDP Parliamentary Candidate and a National
Executive Member, was arrested in the provincial town of Soma, held at the
towns police station for two days and then transferred to the maximum
Security prison in the village of Janjanbureh. Mr Jammeh was never charged
with any offence.
September/October 1996: Dembo Karang Bojang, Wassa Janneh, Buba Ayi Sanneh
and Ansumana Bojang and many other UDP supporters were arrested and
detained at various police stations around the country. They were later
transferred to various prisons in the country. These UDP supporters were
charged seven (7) weeks later, with the offence of conspiracy to cause a
breach of the peace.
June 1995: During the transition period, Lamin Waa Juwara UDP Organising
Secretary and Ousman Sillah a UDP member, were among those picked up by
security forces and detained incommunicado for three months. They were
only released following the transition phase, which saw both presidential
and parliamentary elections take place.
November 1994: Amadou Juldeh Jallow and Sainabou Bouvier, both civilians
were mercilessly beaten by soldiers of the GNA.
July 1994: Ten (10) former ministers of the ousted Peoples Progressive
Party were ordered to surrender to the nearest police station to their
homes. They were detained for various periods ranging from six (6) to
thirteen 13 months. They were subjected to persistent beatings and torture
whilst they were in detention. They are, Alhaji Kama Badjie Buba Baldeh
Mathew Yaya Baldeh Alhaji Yaya Ceesay Alkali James Gaye Hassan Jallow Omar
Amadou Jallow Alhaji Mbemba Jatta Landing Jallow Sonko Dr. Sarjo Touray
Two (2) newly appointed ministers of the AFPRC junta as well as other so
called security detainees were arrested and detained without charge or
trial. They include; Capt. Mamat Cham (Minister) Major Ebrima Chongan
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Major Christian Davis Pa Sallah Jagne
Inspector General of Police ASP Abou S. Jeng RSM Baboucarr Jeng Capt.
Samsudeen Sarr (Minister)
July 1994: Sidia Jatta & Halifa Sallah, Opposition politician of the
Peoples Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism, were
arrested and charged with violating Decree no.4 of the AFPRC. Apart from
persistent harassment and intimidation, of opposition party leaders and
their supporters, they are also routinely denied permits to hold rallies.
On occasions, their public meetings have been broken up and supporters
beaten up by security forces. Harassment, Intimidation and Persecution of
Media Personnel and Journalists
September 2000: Alieu Bah a staff at Radio 1 FM, who had earlier received
a letter threatening his life, had his house fire bombed for the second
time in one year, while he and his family were sleeping inside. They were
rescued by neighbours.
August 2000: An arson attack by yet unidentified people was carried out on
Radio 1 FM a privately run radio station. In the process, the proprietor
George Christensen sustained burns on his face and body and had to be
hospitalised.
July 2000: Alhaji Yorro Jallow, Editor in Chief of the Independent
Newspaper and one other Journalist of the paper were arrested and detained
at the Banjul Police Station for reporting about hunger strikes at the central prisons at mile two. No charges were brought against them.
June 2000: Journalist Madi Ceesay, was arrested whilst covering a country-
wide tour of the UDP, and detained at the Basse police station for three
days. He was accused along with the UDP leadership for the Murder of one
Alieu Njie, a member of the 22nd July Movement who ambushed their convoy.
May 2000: Mohamad Bayo, A journalist from the Democratic Republic of
Congo, was arrested and detained for two days at the NIA headquarter. He
was allegedly tortured and denied medical treatment and deported to
Nigeria despite identification papers showing that he was a national of
the DRC.
December 1999: Alhaji Yorro Jallow & Baba Galleh Jallow, The Editor in
Chief and the Managing Editor of the 'Independent Newspaper' respectively,
along with a staff reporter, were arrested, detained and charged with
Libel against the president, for publishing an article about the state of
the president's marriage. They were released on a bail of US$I, 000 each.
No trial date has yet been fixed.
February 1998: Babucarr Gaye the proprietor of Citizen FM Radio Station,
and his assistant Ebrima Sillah were arrested and detained by the NIA, and
their radio station shut down for broadcasting translations of the daily
Newspaper headline in the local languages. Babucarr Gaye was later charged
for operating a radio station without proper licence and convicted. The
radio station was closed down and the equipment forfeited to the state. On
appeal, the conviction was overturned and the court ruled that the seized
equipment be returned to the proprietor but the State failed to comply
with this legal ruling.
November 1994: Ebrima Sankareh, a freelance Journalist was arrested by the
NIA and detained without charge.
October 1994: Kenneth Best the proprietor of the Daily Observer Newspaper
was unceremoniously deported to his war torn country of Liberia. Other
Journalists at the Daily Observer were subjected to constant and
persistent harassment and intimidation forcing most of them to flee the
country.
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