In 2004, Lamin Waa Juwara of the Opposition National
Democratic Action Movement Party NDAM, informed the Point
Newspaper that his life was threatened by people posing as
NIA officers. Waa intimated that the men wanted to
abduct and kill him. But thanks to his gallant
NDAM supporters, the assassination attempt was quelled.
They insisted that "Mbarodi" was not going to move
an inch and that they placed their lives on the line if
the alleged NIA abductors should behave otherwise.
I remember the late Deyda Hydara talking to Waa on the
phone and expressed concerned about the state of affairs.
As a matter of fact, Deyda, condemned the alleged
plans to kill waa in his "teeth Bite column" He urged
Gambians to nurture our cherished peace. In short, he
said killing of political opponents was not the solution to
the country's economic and political woes. Hydara urged the
Jammeh administration to be tolerant and uphold the rule of
law.
JAMMEH SILENCE OVER DEYDA'S DEATH
Decent and democratic leaders will always condemn such barbaric
act. But president Yahya Jammeh have not demonstrated this. He
had been silence over Deyda's death. To say that the
police have condemned it is not enough.
Gambians are eager to hear what their president will say about
this horrific incident.
May be his government is implicated. That is why he
is reluctant to comment on the issue? Whatever, the case
might be Gambians will know those behind this cowardly act
one day. Jammeh had always perceived the private press
as illegitimate sons of Africa. Such a leader will do
everything to undermine the patriotic sons and daughters of
Africa trying to advocate for press freedom and democracy. He
always used the word patriotism, when he doesn't practise it.
If Jammeh was patriotic as he claimed, he wouldn't have
used violence to topple the democratically elected government
of Jawara. When you joined the military, you sworn to
defend and uphold Gambia's constitution. But due to greed
and ignorance you and other junior officers of the Gambian
army decided to stage a coup against the PPP administration.
TERROR CAMPAIGN AGAINST JOURNALISTS
Just recently, a prominent opposition figure in the person
Hamat Bah, named two or three state Guards personnel as
being allegedly responsible for the arson attacks on the
Independent Newspaper. The government have not done
anything to arrest those responsible for this barbaric act.
Instead, it tried to down play Mr.Bah's claims.
Whether they like or not these implicated soldiers will face
justice one day. The crime they are linked to is a serious
one, which cannot go unpunished. The regime had
repeatedly targeted the Point and the Independent Newspaper for
persecution. Arresting and fire bombing media houses in the
country. The hands of Jammeh and his tyrannical regime are
stained with blood and its time to seek repentance before
it is too late. Gambians will not forget the persecution they
suffered from Jammeh's Gambian / Libyan trained thugs.
WHY WAS ARMY CHIEF VINCENT JATTA
FIRED FROM THE ARMY?
Jammeh is good at diverting public attention when such horrific
things happerned. Vincent was sacked few days after Deyda's
death. It is widely claimed that Vincent protested
Deyda's killing and vowed to resign from the army if the
killings should continue. Apparently according to highly placed
sources, the former Army chief is placed on constant
surveillance. Gambians should not be surprised if Vincent is
arrested and placed on bogus charges. We do know that
the autopsy report on Deyda's death had indicates the mark of
the bullets which was used to kill the journalist.
The Gambian army should conduct an inventory now to establish
the owners of the guns.
WHY WAS DEYDA KILLED?
Shortly after the Independent Newspaper arson attack, a former
senior soldier came to our office to indicate that he
recognised the pistol which was used by the arsonists to burn
down the independent Newspaper. According to the former soldier,
the pistol was a "French Mark" which was used by the
Gambian Army and the then TSG. He said if proper inventory
is conducted the perpetrator(s) of the Independent arson attack
will be apprehended. Upon receiving this patriotic ex soldier
in my office, i informed Deyda who insisted that the
man's assertions should be published. In an interview,
the former soldier also criticised the police crime coordinator for
touching the pistol with his hands, while at the scene of
the crime. The soldier said the CMC failed to apply basic
investigative techniques to probe the incident. He argued
that the CMC should have used a plastic cover to touch the gun.
By touching the pistol with his hands, said the soldier
will discredit future investigations. He cited the possible
way of erasing the finger prints of the perpetrators by the
CMC. He was very right. You don't need to go a
detective school to know these basic things. But for whatever
reasons, these fundamental investigative procedures were ignored.
Our paper ran the soldier's story, but there was no
denial from the side of the government. The former soldier
went as far as saying that if he was in the military he will
trace the perpetrators. What type of government do we have
back home? Its time to end the culture of gun happy soldiers.
Nobody is safe in today's Gambia.
_________________________________________________________________
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