Hello – I’m wondering if anyone could explain this situation to me.  I looked on the map to locate Sintet.  Does “Foni” refer to a group or an area?  Who are the people who are being arrested and why?  I am only Gambian by marriage, so maybe need things spelled out more. ☺   Thank you for whatever extra light you can shed on this distressing story.



Jane Warner Dukuray



From: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of SUNTOU TOURAY

Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 7:28 AM

To: [log in to unmask]

Subject: Re: MASS ARREST OF ALLEGED WITCHES AT SINTET, WESTERN REGION



This is another detail that has imaged:



Among the many arrested, there are at least 100 people held hostage and incomminicadoo at the kanilai camp. Some women were released and they returned home safe, however they are not sure if their release is conditional or not. As of yester-evening, March 9th 2009, they were forced to drink a certain unknown conoction, which made many of them dizzy.



The "duhres" or acrobatic dancers as they are localled called hailed from Guinea and are moving around the country with President Jammeh's Uncle called Solo Bojang, who is a military officer from kanilai. Sintet is known to be a tough village, and they are known to be farmers, shepherds and fishermen. It is this belief around that whoever humuliates the people of the village in an embarassing way, the individual meets his or her demise. The myth whether by coincidence or reality has always proven so. Because of the nature of the villagers, hundreds of armed paramilitary men led by Solo Bojang surrounded the village. Some  succeeded in fleeing the village while others hid undeath beds, closets, toilets, bathrooms and in the near by bushes. Those that stayed to be arrested said they wants to keep their pride; that once arrested and released, they are free from societal finger-pointing, the fear of being labeled a witch. They would rather die than run away for crimes they didn't commit. They are then transported in small cars to a waiting bus that loads people to kanilai where they are held hostage, intimidated, tortured and forced to drink certain conoction.



Once they invade a village, they will gather them, slaughter a red goat and burry the blood. They will ask people to take oaths that:



1. They are loyal to Yaya Jammeh and his Governmnet.

2. They are not witches/wizards.

3. That they will not be-witched.



After this is done, to heal a captive or an alleged witch/wizard, one would have to pay upto D2000.00 Gambian dalasis. Once you pay, they will release your relative and tells you that he is healed.







--- On Tue, 10/3/09, abdoukarim sanneh <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

From: abdoukarim sanneh <[log in to unmask]>

Subject: Re: MASS ARREST OF ALLEGED WITCHES AT SINTET, WESTERN REGION

To: [log in to unmask]

Date: Tuesday, 10 March, 2009, 1:44 PM

Yahya Jammeh need to go to rehab and for period tell Gambian that he is not fit to rule giving that coacaine addiction is slowly destroying him and making him paranoid. I am really sick about this nonesense witchcraft. How long should we continue to tolerate?



________________________________

Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2009 19:38:54 +0000

From: [log in to unmask]

Subject: MASS ARREST OF ALLEGED WITCHES AT SINTET, WESTERN REGION

To: [log in to unmask]

Forumites



Below is another developing witchcraft story, this time from the Professor's own heartland of the Fonis. The information emanates from highly reliable sources.



Please read the alarming violation of human dignity by the Professor's government.









LJDarbo











The Sintet Mass Arrest



Earlier on this morning, February 9th 2009, Yaya Jammeh ordered paramilitary men to surround Sintet for witch craft operations. During the process, they arrested all the women, and men, estimated to be over 1000 people and they are currently held in Kanillai, Yaya Jammeh's  acclaimed birth place . The only few spared are some of the youths. Many has gone for hiding for fear of reprisal. The situation is very tense.  According to villagers who expressed dismay over the mass arrest, they were only performing ablutions early dawn to do their morning prayers, apparently the surrounding uniformed men closed the village allowing no entry or exit. In other villages of the Fonis, a ransom of D2000.00 Gambian dalasis will free one person.





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