AllahuAkbar!AllahuAkbar!AllahuAkbar!AllahuAkbar!

Even after all the first shootings you still have some more killings in the provinces
Unbelievable
This is not the gambia we know
I was so shocked at first I taught it was a late April Fool prank
Again once more My condolences to all the families that lost their children and those wounded.
WHY  should people be barred from claiming their children's bodies for burial .This is just adding to the problem.
Let the people bury the dead for God's sake please

Habib Diab Ghanim, Sr

Sigga jagne wrote:

> Am I the only one outraged by the "Daily Observer's"
> article on the massacre of the Gambian students
> yesterday?  If you have not seen it yet, see for
> yourself below (As posted by Momodou Camara on G-L)
>
> How dare they?  The article suggested that the
> student's were the cause of the escalation of the
> incident, to the point of murder by the paramilitary
> officers.  It suggested that the Paramilitary
> personnel, only acted out of fear for their safety and
> out of desperation.  Almost as if they only reacted in
> self defense. Is observer hinting that the dead
> students are responsible for their own death?  Will
> someone explain to me how trained, armed, killing
> machines like those "Jammeh Assassins" can justify
> their fear of defenseless school children?  How can
> they justify their "claimed acts of Self Defense"
> against innocent youths armed with nothing?
>
> I swear as I was reading it, I was almost sure that I
> was reading a report on the incident put out by Jammeh
> and his "Puppet Government."  What is going on
> OBSERVER? What happened to the brave front you used to
> present and your usual reporting of injustices by the
> government.  Why have you decided to play it save in
> this, the Gambian People's most hour of need?  I have
> to say, as a former fan of the newspaper, that am
> greatly disappointed.  This is not a time to report
> "Government Friendly Material."  It is a time to
> report the truth, a time for you and all other
> vehicles of journalism to use that unrivaled power of
> the press, to make sure the voice of the Gambian
> people are heard world wide.  I think that if our
> young can be out in the streets of Gambia facing
> bullets and laying down their lives, we the adults can
> surely be shocked into action.  For we have indeed
> failed them.  If we had knipped Jammeh's lunatic
> outbursts of crazed dictatorship from the beginning,
> then our young will not have found it necessary to lay
> down their lives in other to achieve justice.  As it
> is, we should be ashamed of the fact that we did
> indeed watch on and in the process, let our brothers
> and sisters down.  For we should be the protectors of
> our future leaders.  Hence, the least we can do now,
> is to make sure that those who died did not die in
> vain.  And if anything, I would expect the press to
> lead this call for justice.  I definitely did not
> expect the Daily Observer to be the one poking at our
> wounds by almost blaming our dead for their own
> murders.  Please tell me that you were monitored or
> forced to write this article against your will.  For I
> cannot believe that such a fine mechanism of
> journalism would drop the batton in the midst of the
> race.  In the Spirit of true journalism, I invoke you
> to divert this course your newspaper has taken.  We
> all know that often, it is the press who help re-write
> modern history.  So help us re-write our history.
> Help us take the reigns of our country from these
> murderous, inhumane creatures.  In Your Heart You Know
> The Truth, So Let It Be Heard or better yet, in this
> case, Let It Be Read.
>
> I look forward to FOROYAA's version of the events.
>
> Momodou Camara
>
> The Daily Observer Published 04/11/00
>
>  10 DEAD IN STUDENTS DEMO
>
> At least ten people are reported to have died
> following clashes between
> demonstrating students and armed police and soldiers
> yesterday.
>
> Students from schools in Serrekunda, Banjul, Brikama
> and Bakau, went
> out on the
> streets to protest against what they said was the
> 'slow pace' of
> justice in the
> prosecution of the Brikama fire officers who were
> alleged to have
> caused the
> death of student Ebrima Barry, and an unidentified
> uniformed officer
> alleged to
> have raped the 13-year-old Brikama-ba school girl.
>
> Among the dead in yesterday's clashes was Red cross
> volunteer, Omar
> Barrow, who
> is also the editor of Sud FM Radio, Banjul.Last week,
> students under
> the aegis
> of Gambia Students Union (Gamsu) sent messages to
> schools in the
> Greater Banjul
> Area informing of the strike. Messages on posters were
> also pinned up
> in
> schools and along  streets in Serrekunda.
>
> Alerted about the strike, the department of state for
> the Interior
> Sunday
> issued a press release warning students against
> staging a strike and
> stressed
> that no attempt to disrupt the peace will be allowed.
>
> Sources at Interior said the executive members of
> Gamsu were invited to
> a
> meeting where they were briefed on government's
> efforts to speedily
> prosecute
> the alleged errant officers.
>
> However, at about 8am Monday, students carrying white
> banners with
> slogans,
> "Justice for Ebrima Barry", "We rather die than
> injustice", "Respect
> the future
> leaders", "Redeploy Brikama fire officers" and
> chanting, "We are hot,
> very,
> very hot!", "We want freedom and justice!", began
> gathering at GTTI
> where they
> were to begin the supposedly "peaceful" demonstration.
>
> A contingent of paramilitary officers arrived at the
> scene and
> cautioned the
> students to call off the strike. They refused to
> comply. A short while
> later,
> armed forces chief of staff, Babucarr Jatta, and army
> commander, Lt Col
> Momodou
> Badjie, arrived and urged the students to remain calm.
>
> The students began throwing stones when the
> paramilitary officers
> barred their
> way.  The officers reacted by firing shots into the
> air. There was
> pandemonium
> as some of the students ran amok while others did mock
> battle with the
> armed
> officers.
>
> The paramilitary officers regrouped at the mobile
> traffic unit as the
> students
> in disparate groups advanced towards the Westfield
> junction, setting up
> road
> blocks and setting vehicle tyres on fire.
>
> At the Westfield junction, Col Jatta and Interior
> secretary, Ousman
> Badjie,
> tried to calm the students without success.
>
> The students vandalised the Westfield Gamtel office,
> burning the
> building and
> smashing to smithreens the computers and furniture.
>
> They continued on the stoning spree along Kairaba
> Avenue breaking shop
> glasses
> and setting ablaze vehicles. The students were joined
> by street boys
> and shops
> and stalls were looted.
>
> The Gamtel Serrekunda Exchange, Gambia Television
> offices and the
> adjoining
> Serrekunda Post Office were attacked. The post office
> was vandalised
> without
> restraint as windows were smashed, post boxes opened
> and parcels
> looted. Gamtel
> coin phone booths were not spared as well as the Daily
> Observer
> offices.
>
> At about 9.18am the Churchill's Town Fire and
> Ambulance Services
> compound was
> attacked and two fire machines, one bearing the number
> plate, G3A 4214
> were
> burnt.
>
> The Bundung police station was burnt as well as part
> of the Serrekunda
> police station where inmates were freed.Kotu police
> and fire station
> were attacked. Sources in Brikama said the fire
> engines were attacked and
> the pol
> ice station gutted to the ground. Armed personnel were
> said to have
> been redeployed in the town.
>
> The mobile traffic headquarters was also attacked,
> windscreens of
> vehicles smashed, including one police siren car and
> three motorbikes.The
> students jeered at the deputy inspector general of
> police and Baba Jobe
> when they
>  tried to calm them. The students seized DIG Badjie's
> cap but returned
> it to him later.
>
> The president of Gamsu, Omar Joof, and some of his
> executive members
> had to flee on board a pick-up vehicle in a hail of
> stones after he tried
> to address the students.
>
> Some of the students seized police shields, helmets
> and uniforms,
> wearing them.Our reporter, Ben Gomez, said he saw a
> student pick up a gun
> dropped by a fleeing paramilitary officer and wanted
> to open fire but
> there was n
> o cartridge.
>
> The paramilitary officers were said to have been
> barricaded in a
> building where they ran for safety for about 20
> minutes as thick smoke from
> burning tyres oozed on them.The officers then opened
> fire and according
> to our r
> eporter, three students wearing black and white
> uniforms fell down and
> were motionless.
>
> At the Serrekunda Post Office, Col Jatta, who was
> making frantic
> efforts to douse the flames of violence was accosted
> by the students who
> escorted him on foot along Kairaba Avenue to the
> paramilitary base in
> Kanifing wher
> e he was rescued. The students were forced to retreat
> under rounds of
> gunfire lasting 20 minutes.
>
> By last evening, Red Cross officials said at least 10
> people have died
> and many injured including a three year-old-boy. Most
> of the injured
> were admitted at the RVH intensive care unit.
>
> Armed soldiers were patrolling the streets
> yesterday.The violence,
> damage to property and loss of life have been roundly
> condemned by many
> people who appealed to the security forces to ensure
> that Monday's encore
> is not r
> epeated.
>
> Omar Barrow Killed
>
> Omar Barrow, a Red Cross volunteer and the editor at
> Sud FM radio
> station, Banjul, was shot to death during the student
> demonstration
> yesterday.
>
> In a press release issued last evening, Gambia Red
> Cross Society
> (GRCS), explained: "Mr Omar Barrow died at the Royal
> Victoria Hospital in
> Banjul after all efforts to save his life.  Omar
> Barrow was shot within
> the premis
> es of GRCS whilst rendering humanitarian services
> during the student
> demonstration of Monday, April 10, 2000. At the time
> of the gunshot, Mr
> Omar
> Barrow was wearing a clearly marked protective Red
> Cross emblem, that
> is, a Red
> Cross bib and helmet, which is in line with the
> international code of
> conduct
> in relief operations and in conformity with the Geneva
> Conventions.
>
> Mr Omar Barrow is a member of the GRCS emergency
> response team and the
> resource
> development committee. Mr Barrow, a very active and
> dedicated Red Cross
> volunteer, died in the line of duty.
>
> The entire membership of the Gambia Red Cross Society
> will observe a
> week of
> mourning for the late Omar Barrow, effective April 10,
> 2000, all in
> ceremonial
> uniforms or Red Cross T-shirts."
>
> The Red Cross said it extends condolences to the
> family and friends of
> Omar
> Barrow.The late Omar Barrow is survived by a wife and
> a seven-month-old
> baby
> girl.
>
> Region 1, 2 schools closed
> Following yesterday's bloody clashes involving
> students and armed
> police and
> soldiers, Office of the President has ordered the
> immediate closure of
> all
> schools and tertiary institutions in Banjul, Kanifing
> municipal area
> and
> Western Division.
>
> A press release to the effect, issued yesterday
> afternoon read:"This
> morning
> some students in regions 1 and 2, under the leadership
> and guidance of
> the
> Gambia Student's Union, went into rampage causing
> obstructions to
> traffic and
> disrupting school mock exams that were in progress.
>
> It is further known that certain students forced their
> way into some
> schools
> and dragged their colleagues to join them in this
> unwarranted and
> unruly
> behaviour.
>
> Number of casualties and the level of damage to
> property are currently
> under
> investigation.Government has therefore decided that
> all schools and
> tertiary
> institutions in regions 1 and 2 be closed with
> immediate effect, until
> further
> notice.
>
> All parents are hereby advised to keep their children
> at home and to
> await
> further instructions from the department of state for
> Education.The
> security
> services will be on full alert and patrol to ensure
> the safety of lives
> and
> property.
>
> The general public and all visitors to The Gambia are
> assured that the
> government will not compromise the security and
> stability of the
> country under
> any circumstances. The situation is completely under
> control and all
> are
> advised to go about their normal business as usual.
>
> Everyone is urged to fully cooperate with the security
> services and to
> report
> any criminal act and banditry to the nearest police station."
>
> =====
> "NO ONE CAN MAKE YOU FEEL INFERIOR WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION"
>
>                        ALSO
>
> "NOTHING IS UNACHIEVABLE, THE ONLY QUESTION IS, WHETHER ONE IS WILLING TO DO WHAT IT TAKES TO ACHIEVE WHAT IS DESIRED"
>
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