BERAN/KB:

This is another vivid depiction that we have ANIMALS leading our country who
are bent on turning our beloved country into a REBEL ZONE, period. The
oppositions have HARD and ROUGH DISTRIBUTARIES to paddle through to the
LIGHT HOUSE. Considering that fact that we now have REBELS living in our
midst, the Moron is bent on yet again, on another VOTE RIGGING exercise. In
collaboration with rebels, the Moron will again commence to intimidate,
kill, torture, arrest without warrant and continue to threaten people with
his USUAL MOTTO: SIX FEET DEEP. But his days are numbered come, OCTOBER. The
Moron will never learn from history. Where are the SAMUEL K. DOES of
Liberia, the IDI AMINS of Uganda, the BOKASSAS of Central Africa, Melosivics
of Yugoslavia etc? Further more, who ever though that NELSON MANDELA of
South Africa was going to be freed or even become President of his country;
but it all happened.

Where will the Moron escape to after he is defeated. May be Morocco, where
his light-skin wife is from, but let him not bank on that. This is
International Politics, and the Moroccans and the Americans are in each
others good books; this is bad news for the Moron. NO SAFE HEAVEN for him
when he leaves Office. But, as HON. GEORGE SARR put it best, his MOSQUITO
BRAIN does not see that we all live in a pretty small World. If FLT, JJ
RAWLINGS is being slowly and cautiously netted, then how about a Moron of
all Morons. That will be like drinking TANGO SODA, period. The international
Community is keeping a magnified Binos lens on him to watch and record his
deeds. Struggle MUST continue.

Ansumana.


>From: Dampha Kebba <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: One Year After April 10,              Amnesty Country Report
>Indicts Security Forces
>Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 11:42:17 -0400
>
>Beran, thanks for forwarding the Independend/Amnesty Report on the
>horrendous human rights violations in our country. I herewith attach a full
>copy of the Amnesty report. This I hope will help remind people about what
>we are up against. The Dictatorship has to go come October 2001.
>KB
>
>______________________ AI Report ___________________________________
>
>At least 14 people were killed and dozens injured in April when security
>forces used excessive and indiscriminate force to break up student
>demonstrations. Members of the opposition faced harassment and arrest.
>Civilians and soldiers suspected of plotting against the government were
>arrested and held incommunicado for long periods without charge or trial.
>Arbitrary detentions, ill-treatment and torture by the security forces were
>frequently reported.
>
>Background
>Political tension remained high throughout 2000. The government claimed to
>have foiled two coup plots in January and in June. Harassment and
>repression
>of political opponents continued unabated. In July President Jammeh was
>reported to have stated publicly that ''anyone bent on disturbing the peace
>and stability of the nation would be buried six feet deep''.
>
>In December, the UN Panel of Experts investigating the trade in arms and
>diamonds in Sierra Leone identified Gambia as a transit country for
>conflict
>diamonds from Sierra Leone and called for an immediate embargo ''on trade
>in
>all so-called Gambian diamonds''. The Gambian authorities, accused by the
>UN
>experts of not cooperating with the investigation, reportedly denied any
>lack of cooperation and any involvement in diamond trafficking.
>
>Excessive and indiscriminate use of force
>On 10 and 11 April, at least 14 people were killed and dozens injured, some
>severely, when security forces used excessive and indiscriminate force to
>break up demonstrations. Several of the dead were less than 18 years old.
>The unauthorized demonstrations were organized by the Gambian Students
>Union
>in Banjul, Brikama and other towns. They were called in protest at two
>incidents in March: the death, allegedly after torture, of a student,
>Ebrima
>Barry, and the rape of a 13-year-old schoolgirl, Binta Manneh, by a police
>officer. The demonstration in Banjul on 10 April became violent after the
>security forces tried to disperse crowds, including by using tear gas,
>batons and rubber bullets. It appeared that some demonstrators threw stones
>at security forces, burned tyres and set fire to buildings, including fire
>stations and police stations. The security forces reportedly fired into the
>crowd and autopsies apparently confirmed that live ammunition was used.
>Omar
>Barrow, a journalist and Gambia Red Cross volunteer, wearing Red Cross
>insignia, was among those killed as he went to help injured demonstrators.
>
>Neither the findings of a Commission of Inquiry subsequently set up by the
>government nor those of the inquiry carried out by the Coroner were made
>public by the end of 2000. In September, the Chair of the Commission of
>Inquiry was reported to have publicly acknowledged that security force
>officers were found to be largely responsible for the deaths and injuries
>of
>the students.
>
>Torture/ill-treatment
>
>Torture and ill-treatment were frequently reported. Many of the students
>arrested during and after the mid-April demonstrations were tortured and
>ill-treated in custody by members of the security forces, including the
>National Intelligence Agency.
>
>On 9 March, Ebrima Barry, a 19-year-old student, died in hospital allegedly
>after torture by Brikama Fire Service personnel. Officers suspected of
>responsibility for his death were arrested. Their trial had not concluded
>by
>the end of 2000.
>The practice of female genital mutilation reportedly remained widespread,
>especially in rural areas.
>
>Arrests of opponents
>On 18 June, Ousainou Darboe, Secretary General of the opposition United
>Democratic Party (UDP), was arrested with scores of UDP members in the
>Basse
>region, east of Banjul, while campaigning for local elections. He was
>released on bail after being charged together with 24 others, including
>members of the National Assembly, with the murder of a supporter of the
>ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC).
>Ousainou Darboe's arrest followed what appeared to be an ambush of his
>convoy by members of a pro-government militia, the ''22 July Movement''.
>Although officially disbanded in 1999, the militia reportedly continued to
>operate.
>
>At the end of 2000 the murder charges were dropped against all but five
>people, including Ousainou Darboe and other prominent UDP members. It
>appeared that this prosecution was intended to silence the UDP and prevent
>Ousainou Darboe from standing in presidential elections in 2001, as no
>credible evidence was reported to have emerged against the five. On 18
>July,
>the European Union urged the Gambian authorities to respect fully the
>independence of the courts in the proceedings against Ousainou Darboe and
>members of his party.
>
>Unlawful detention of suspected plotters
>Civilians and members of the military arrested in January and in June on
>suspicion of plotting a coup were held incommunicado for long periods
>without being charged.
>Lieutenant Landing Sanneh was arrested in January on suspicion of plotting
>to overthrow the government. He was held incommunicado for several months
>and charged in June with treason. It appeared that at least one of his
>confessions was obtained after a death threat. Landing Sanneh was detained
>at State Central Prison (Mile II) awaiting trial before the High Court.
>However, in early December the authorities announced that he would be tried
>by the Court Martial.
>Momodou Ousman Saho and five others - Lieutenant Lato Jaiteh, Lieutenant
>Omar Darbo, Ebrima Barrow, Momodou Marena and Ebrima Yarbo - were arrested
>at the end of June and held incommunicado for more than four months. For at
>least three weeks the authorities denied to their families that they were
>being detained. The six were charged in mid-July by a magistrates' court
>which did not have jurisdiction to hear the case. Their lawyers were not
>present in court. Three others were charged in absentia. At the end of
>2000,
>the six were being held at Mile II prison, where detention conditions were
>reportedly harsh.
>
>Intimidation of journalists
>Journalists continued to face arbitrary detentions and threats of violence
>by the security forces. Decrees 70 and 71, which unduly restrict freedom of
>expression, remained in force. Proposed legislation on the National Media
>Commission, which would have imposed further restrictions on the news
>media,
>was not passed by the National Assembly during 2000.
>In July, Baba Galleh Jallow and Alhagie Mbye of the Independent were
>arrested, briefly detained and released on bail after being charged with
>libel for reporting on a prison hunger strike.
>
>Death penalty
>Appeals against death sentences passed by the High Court for treason had
>not
>been decided by the end of 2000. They related to four political prisoners
>sentenced to death in 1997 after an armed attack on Farafenni military camp
>in 1996, and to three others sentenced in 1999 after an armed attack on
>Kartong military post in 1997.
>
>AI country report
>Gambia: Fourteen people killed and at least 28 injured (AI Index: AFR
>27/001/2000)
>
>
>_________________________________________________________________
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