Ebou Colly,
            Words cannot express how well you
truthfully narated what happen and i pray and hope
that  oneday justice would happen. I would also thank
Kebba Dampha eventhough i don`t know you, i know you
are a decent and honourable person who seem to know
what transpired in our beloved country THE GAMBIA.
tHERE IS A SAYING THAT NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKE
TRUTH WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL OVER LIES AND FABRICATIONS.
Now moving on the facts of 06th september 1994, Ebou
Colly was not taken to RIP i mean security wing number
one, therefore it is our responsibility those of us
who had gone through a mock execution to explain to
the world what happen at death row. Luckily I had also
kept a diary while i was in prison, i was influence by
ALPHA ABDOULAYE DIALLO whose book i read THE TRUTH OF
THE MINISTER  TEN YEARS IN THE GOALS OF SEKOU TOURE.
Now i will start to explain what happen, we woke up in
the morning of the 6th September, tensions were very
high by this time  we were not aware that the senior
prison officer incharge of our wing  who was the duty
officer the previous night had been detained for
failing to turn up when the council members came in
the middle of the night.
Strangely enough Rsm Ceesay, a former drum major who
was detained opposite me, i mean the opposite cell no
25, told me that yesterday night, he was peeping
through the window of his cell and saw all the council
members except Yaya Jammeh accompanied by the deputy
commissioner of prisons Mr Antou Saidy. Aparently we
understood later on that day the experience
commissioner of prisons Mr Piere Marongwas informed
and ordered to report that night but he refused on the
grounds that it was contrary to prisons regulations to
open it in the dead of the night - he was sack the
following morning by Sana Sabally but re-instated
again  almost immediately on the orders of Yaya Jammeh
because he taught him at primary school and his mothre
was a Jola.

When the senior prison officer was transfered to our
wing.  I was very worried and concern because this was
the only officer who had sympathy towards the
detainees and he would even somtime volunter normal
informations to us.  I send him mosquito coil and
cigarettes. I was very nervous and could feel tension
in my body that something sinister was about to
happen.  Around midnight I started dozing off to
sleep.  By 1:30am to 2:00am, early hours of 07/09/94 I
was awaken by noises and i then peeped on the door and
saw 2LT E. SINGATEH with an AK47 rifle shouting -
where is Captain M.O. CHAM and the D.C.P Antou Saidy
in full uniform following behind, with 2nd LT Sana
Sabally, 2nd LT S Hydara, 2LT Yankouba Touray with
about (40) other ranks.  I could identify a few of
them: namely 2LT Reter Sighateh (brother of E.
Singhateh, W.O II Bah, Private Njie Sana Sabally's
orderly, Private Susso former T.S.G. Private batch
Edward Singhateh's driver and other whom I couldn't
identify at the time.

CAPT. M.O. Cham who was then occupying cell N011 was
taken aout with both hands handcuffed at the back and
force to lie down on the cement concrete floor and
they started kicking, blowing him with both hands and
gun butts then dragging him along the corridor out of
security wing N04 we had live firing from the AK 47's
very intensive then the firing abroadly stop.  By this
time Mr kebba Ceesay who was on cell N027 opposite me
was calling the name of Allah and he holy prophet
Muhamed.  Now by this time all the detainees were
nervous and we almost certainly felt that the much
feared execution had started finally.

After a time they came back again and this time they
took R.S.M baboucarr  Jeng the most senior
Non-Commissioned Officer of The Gambia National Army
and the same procedure as that of M.O. Cham (Capt) was
repeated.  Jeng had a serious neck pain as a result of
a serious car accident earlier on during military
exercise at Kiang Lower River Division, He was even
flown to the U.K for expert medical treatment.

TheY returned back for the third time and sabally
immediately started shouting my name.  By this time
because of the heat I do normally sleep with my
shorts.  Sabally came up to the front of my cell N014
door showed me blood that was on his hand (apparently,
the blood was that of Capt M.O. Cham) he then asked me
"do you know this" my reply was no and he said this is
blood.  The cell door was opened.  The D.C.P. AntoU
Saidy came in and hand cuff my hands from bahind.  I
was forced down on the concrete cement floor and they
started dragging with gun butts and the rangers boots
out from security wing N04 toward security wing N01
shouting that they were going to execute me.  I
thought my God the end has finally come but I was
still a bit hopeful because on the way to security
wing N01 when the soldiers were malhandly me Sadibou
Hydara shouted to them and said be careful and I made
the deduction that somebody about to be executed why
should they be careful anyway I was already brace up
for it but really scare.  upon arrival at the
forground of security wing N01 still under hand cuff.
SAbally tolt me to say MY LAST PRAYERS as I was going
to be executed.  Well before I could say anything.
2LT. Yankouba Touray had put a loaded 9mm French mab
pistol into my month with the safety catch down infact
he moving the safety catch on and off and the other
soldiers were firing life ammunition from their A.K
47's rifle indiscrimately until when Sabally ordered
cease-fireing.  NO AMOUNT OF WORDS CAN EXPLAIN THIS
TERROR.  I don't think one can describe it this
situation am honestly lost of words.  Then Sabally`s
orderly pointed an A.K47 resting it on my chest
insulting me and ordering me to crawl to cell N05
security wind N01 where I was finally lock-up.  He
told me they will come for me 6:00am for the proper
EXECUTION then they left.  by this time all my body
was severly bruised particularly my legs, knees and
wrists because of the hand cuffs plus dragging on the
bare cement concrete floor.  I sat down on ythe floor
of the cell till I heard the call for fajr prayer
(muslim early morning prayers) I prayed while sitting
down.  By this time also all my clothes had been torn
and I was to remain like that for days.  After they
left the rest of the whole night I couldn't sleep. I
was in a complete state of shock and I was thinking of
my family my wife, young daughter just 23 months old
infact one week before her second birthday, my father,
my mother, my step mother, sisters, brothers, friends
etc. wherever I hear the noises of the irons doors the
adrenaline shoots rapidly making me almost to collapse
because i was thinking that's it they are coming for
the EXECUTION.  Words cannot express how traumatic the
situation was.  One becomes extremly vulnerable after
been lock-up in a cell no matter how brave or
caurageous one is.

7th SEPTEMBER 1994
In the morning around 7:30am I called Capt M.O. Cham
and he answered Chongs 'ARE WE SAVED' but I couldn't
answer him because at that time I knew our lifes were
still hanging on the balance (praise be to Allah for
saving us).

Around 1:00pm APo Thomas jarju came with Cpl Buba
Jatta the prisons medic who brought with him a lot of
G.V. paint and we subsequently name him G.V. paint.
Anyway Cpl Buba Jatta was humane and very sympathetic
he dress our wounds starting with Capt M.O. Cham who
was now at N08 cell of the security wing number one is
the worst place in the prison.  It's very old since
the colonial era and right at the mangrave swamps,
constantly damp with a high population of rats they
will eat anything even soap and they struggle with us
for our food.  N01 security wing was next to the
execution gallows one can imagine the pschological
effect.  It was also very badly lit, it's virtually
dark day or night.

When Cpl Buba jatta finished the dressing he left with
A.P.O. Thomas Jarju.  At around 4:00pm Thomas Jarju
came back with a soldier to bring our lunch and dinner
together maybe because of the incidents of the
previous night they must have forgotten to bring the
standard prison breakfast of one cup of porridge.
Anyway nobody bothered to eat and the rats had a field
day.  Now its only the three of us staying at security
wing N01 in SOLITARY CONFINEMENT and there was no rest
for the next three months showers once a month later
reduce to once a week.  We were kept incommunication
and we knew nothing that was happening outside even
within the prisons.  We had no blankets, soap, or
shoes.

All gate leading to our wing were lock and no other
prison warder was allowed to come there only one
person A.P.O. Thomas jarju who was allowed to come to
us. He told us tha our colleaques firmly believe that
we were dead. he always used to tell the soldiers
coming for escort to bring food for us not to talk to
us while some of them were former tactical support
elements who served under me for many years.
Inside he cell we had nothing except a plank of wood,
one litre bottle of drinking water and a chamber pot
and absolutely nothing no reading material.
Same pattern, we cannot sleep at night particularly
the noice of the doors opening and closing everytime
,expecting the execution squad. Completely cut off
from the outside world lock up 24 hours, seven days a
week inside the cells.APO THOMAS SAID that they had
orders not to suply us with any blanket from the
council.
In conclusion , this terrible episode cannot really be
express in words but it was really dreadful and i hope
and pray that there would be justice oneday. I take
comfort in seeing Milosovic been tried at the Hague.
Before concluding i would like to salute Major Denis
Cooker, THIS IS THE ONLY OFFICER WHO HAD CONSCIENCE
BECAUSE HE WAS REALLY DISTURB WHEN HE SAW US LITERALLY
CRYING AND HE TOLD US THAT WE ARE REALLY DECENT PEOPLE
AND WE DID NOTHING.
 EBRIMA ISMAILA CHONGAN
--- ebou colly <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> COUP IN GAMBIA TEN
> Mr. Sanusi thanks for your observation over that
> typo
> date on Captain Johnson's training period in the US.
> It should have been 1986 instead of 1996. I totally
> missed it.
> On our dehumanizing jail experience, I ended my last
> piece with the list of the names of all those who
> were
> detained at Mile Two Prisons during the early days
> of
> the AFPRC rule of terror. However as I said earlier
> the first couple of weeks were unimaginably horrible
> but we eventually came to live with it at ease as
> typical of all human spirit, regardless of what. But
> I
> guess it was primarily the sense of innocence felt
> by
> almost everybody over the illegality of our
> predicament that helped us endure the pain. Without
> doubt it was really painful.
> Another factor behind our ability to adapt to the
> death-row horror was the early realization by prison
> officials that after all we were held for nothing
> serious to make them enforce their stiff rules on
> us.
> There were in fact few of the prison officials who
> expressed their open solidarity with us calling it
> naked tribal prejudice and fear of men considered
> more
> competent than those in charge. Consequently, by the
> end of August, the period I estimated to be the end
> on
> the arrest and detention spree of officers', things
> began to look hopeful.
> We were aware of the poor rating the AFPRC were
> facing
> from the public who for a while could not exactly
> understand what was going on. Sana on the other hand
> had come up with a Fafa Mbye-tailored decree about
> us,
> which among other things had stated that our
> detention
> would not exceed six months. However during those
> six
> months, we were to be subjected to a review board
> headed by a foreign judge to determine our guilt or
> innocence. Any one found guilty was to be prosecuted
> while the innocent would of course be freed.
> Everyone behind bars was therefore convinced that,
> going by the decree's conditions we would before
> long
> go free. Interestingly, each detainee started to
> calculate his detention date against the exact date
> in
> the future that should end his six-month term. Those
> who were arrested on the 22nd July tagged 22nd
> January
> as their final dates. I made my calculation too.
> July
> 27th was my detention date, so January 27th was
> supposed to be my last day. What I did not know was
> that by divine intervention, that day, the 27th of
> January was going to be the day Sana and Haidara
> were
> to join us in chains.
> Anyhow as we eagerly awaited the convening order for
> the review board, the conditions got better in the
> jail giving us the needed opportunity to interact
> among ourselves and compare experiences we had
> during
> the coup. We even started receiving provisions from
> our families-biscuits, cakes and the like.
> However, an important matter raised by Captain Mamat
> Cham was his experience at the residence of Colonel
> Akogie where some of them had spent the whole period
> of the coup operation. He was there with Baboucarr
> Jatta and Lt. Ebrima Cambi. Captain Cham disclosed
> that at the early hours of the coup, the Senegalese
> authorities actually called up the Nigerian colonel
> who was in charge of the GNA at the time asking for
> whether they could send troops to help foil the
> coup.
> The colonel declined the offer assuring them that
> they
> could handle the crisis.
> By all indications the Nigerians for some reasons
> known to them were hoping or confident that they
> were
> going to come up with a solution to the problem. It
> was however learnt that Colonel Gwadebeh, General
> Dada's successor who never was, went at length to
> convince General Sani Abacha to allow him to
> mobilize
> Nigerian troops to intervene and restore the PPP
> government. Abacha was reported to have blessed the
> colonel's idea, but when the latter started the
> mobilization process, he was some how warned to
> abort
> the mission. That ended all Nigerian military plans
> to
> come in 1994. The Abacha government later accused
> Colonel Gwadebeh of coup plot and almost executed
> him
> in 1996. His death penalty sentence was commuted to
> life. He was lucky that Abacha died and they set him
> free in a general amnesty.
> Anyhow, the reason for the Nigerians not to accept
> the
> Senegalese offer is a historical puzzle that I hope
> scholars would someday make us understand.
> In jail, September began fairly normal with the
> conditions still considered improving. We even began
> to get use to the unappetizing food, enjoying the
> dark-colored pap and nightly "chereh" with boiled
> bonga fish.
> Then there came the 5th of September. The prison
> guards and their supervisors were all changed to
> mainly Jola crewmen. Headed by David Colly, things
> suddenly changed back to the conditions of the first
> days. The twenty- four hour behind bars policy was
> reintroduced. David Colly brought us papers to sign
> from Vice Chaiman Sabally stating in effect that we
> were under detention for security reasons and that
> he
> was directly responsible for whatever may happen to
> us. It was the first time we saw a written statement
> from the government telling us anything about our
> detention. There was no charge or reason given for
> our
> detention. It was also disappointing that the
> so-called review board headed by a foreign judge was
> not mentioned in Sabally's three-sentence statement.
> Another strange thing that happened was the transfer
> of all civilian prisoners we found at death row to
> another location. The other detainees who were
> locked
> up in other locations were also brought over to us
> "Block #4". Major Sheriff Mbye, Captain Alieu Ndure
> and Cambi were among those transferred from another
> block to ours.
> Everything was a serious cause for concern. Then
> Sergeant Major Alagie Faye, whose cell was very
> close
> to the common footpath outside, gave us the
> disturbing
> information that at the early hours of the morning,
> between 1:00 to 2:00 a.m., he had heard footsteps of
> numerous people walking in and around the area. And
> when he peeped through his narrow window, he had
> seen
> members of the AFPRC with a lot of guards looking
> around. He had particularly identified Edward
> Singhateh and Sana Sabally.
> Around 6:00 p.m., one hour after our regular time to
> go to bed, another strange thing happened. A senior
> prison officer, S.P.O. Joberteh whom we understood
> was
> the duty officer the previous night was brought in
> handcuffs and locked up in one of the cells. The
> man's
> crime was explained to have been his absence from
> the
> facility when the AFPRC members arrived in the
> morning
> and wanted to visit the detainees. Since he was the
> man in charge, nobody was allowed to go into the
> blocks in his absence. In fact as a rigid rule,
> prisoners or detainees' cells were never to be
> opened
> after the time they consider after hour-5: 00 p.m.
> With the whole day being so worrisome, we decided to
> spend the rest of the night praying for our safety.
> I did not know when I slept that night, but suddenly
> the noise of the main door being unchained or
> unlocked
> woke me up at about 1:00 a.m. I was in number one
> cell
> that was very close to the door. As a result, I was
> the first to see the devils walking in when the door
> was opened.
> Yes Edward Singhateh in full combat outfit armed
> with
> an AK47 was the first to walk in with heavily armed
> guards yelling for Captain Mamat Cham to tell him
> his
> cell location. The late Antou Saidy, Deputy
> Commissioner of prisons was the next person I
> noticed
> carrying the bunch of keys that opened the cell
> doors.
> Then there was Sana Sabally, Sadibou Haidara and
> Yankuba Touray. Everyone was fully armed followed by
> a
> section or more of their guards.
> Anyway it was Singhateh who did most of the talking.
> After calling for Cham until the captain's cell was
> found, he ordered for the door to be opened telling
> him to say his last prayer because he was going to
> die
> that day. "People are saying that Yaya's government
> is
>
=== message truncated ===


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