Absjorn,
It is a clear intention to creat a police state when the army is given these
duties that clearly belong to the police. It is not something that happens in
the normal course of events, and there was no national security issue that
warranted such emergency action. Either it was done to justify the army
harrassing innocent Gambians, or it is a last ditch effort in the long list
of attempts to cover up or justify the atrocities committed on April 10 and
11.
This harassment and orchestration of tactics to take away the rights of
Gambians continues as substantiated by the present situation with the UDP
members that are being slapped with some trumped up murder charge, when all
the were doing was defending themselves against an unwarranted attack.
The question I have is how many people can be charged with the murder of one
terrorist who was engaged in breaking the law by attacking these people as
they went about their business? On the other hand, those soldiers who
committed their crimes against the people in broad daylight, complete with
ample witnesses are still scot free, while the people who authorized the
commission of this crime buy time with commissions of enquiry and bogus
explanations.
Jabou Joh
In a message dated 6/22/00 1:02:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
Friends ,
this is from the Observer two days ago.
Another piece in the pattern I try to find of the april-incident.
Now we get the information that the cabinet march 26. approved a memorandum
submitted by the secretary of state for defence, which empowered the GNG
with "limited police duties", and that took effect on april 7. And was
practiced the 10.-11. april, I say.
To me the list of duties is not "limited". They put the police aside, my
opinion.
If the military has taken over they certainly has to behave. It is not
acceptable that they can not give an exact description of how orders were
given and dealt with. And it is not acceptable that they use physical abuse
on detainees, when they are under control in prisons.
But now I understand why the military was so heavy involved in the april
incident. Until now I could not understand why military was so active those
days.
Comment from Asbjørn Nordam
>National Guard given police duties
>
>The department of state for Defence, yesterday afternoon, issued a press
>release announcing the empowerment of the Gambia National Guard with
"limited
>police duties." The empowerment was said to have taken effect on April 7,
2000.
>
>Cabinet was said to have given approval to the memorandum on the matter on
>March 26, 2000 when the secretary of state for Defence submitted it.
>
>The press release further stated, "This approval necessitated an amendment
to
>the relevant sections of The Gambia Armed Forces Act to cater for these
>responsibilities, including the implementation modalities relevant to this
>assignment.
>
>In this regard, the National Guard shall, together with the police, be
employed
>in the preservation and maintenance of law and order, protection of
properties,
>and the prevention and detection of crime.
>
>Other duties include:
>
>. riot control
>
>. combating drug trafficking and cattle rustling
>
>. money laundering and counterfeiting
>
>. armed robbery
>
>. detention, control and fight against serious crime among others.
>
>Civilian authorities and the general public are hereby requested to convey
to
>the National Guard, relevant information they may consider useful for the
>execution of these duties and responsibilities or that may have a direct or
>indirect bearing on the safety of the public and general security as a
whole."
>
>>
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