Tombong,
I am extremely sorry that I asked you for
information about the happenings of 10th April. I did not know that you were
abroad, however, I am none the wiser now that I have read your piece. I was more
expecting something more objective but your gist, with the exception of the
names of those murdered and wounded, is merely an echo of what we already heard
from Badgie and that woman.
Your attempt to apportion blame on Radio 1 FM and
Radio Sud for "fuelling" the flame is contradictory to your earlier statement
that "The Gambia is a democratic country and the students have the
constitutional right to demonstrate peacefully". I believe these stations have
done more to inform the people about the events on such a doleful day, than the
report that your TV station was engaged in entertainment and trivia on the very
day innocent students were butchered.
Tombong, may I remind you that from colonial days
to the days of Jawara, students have always been voicing out their dislikes, but
never before were they confronted by such brutes. Your portrayal of GAMSU as the
cause of the carnage is really an abuse to our intelligence. Your report sounds
more like that of a man on the ground on that fateful day, but you landed in the
Gambia four days after the massacre. What you gave us is a mere hearsay.
Probably, you have been listening too much to Badgie and that
woman.
I do respect your admiration of Jammeh for what he
had done for the Gambian youth. Such admiration will one day earn you a position
of S.O.S. But one thing you have to bear in mind is the people's determination
to see to it that "Yaya Must Go" and Go he
will.
Give my regards to the boys. Tell Limba that I call
aunty Awa 2 weeks ago but he was not around. My regards also to Kebba
Jobe.
Prince Coker (Sloans)
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, April 15, 2000 10:16
AM
Subject: UPDATE
Gambia-l,
As I promised, I would provide information on
the ground, after which I will
give my analysis of the whole
situation.
NUMBER OF DECEASED
According to the authorities at
RVH, the first patients were received at
around 11:00 A.M. on Monday, 10
April 2000. There was a total of 96 patients
seen and all were treated
accordingly with a total admission of 28 from
Greater Banjul area and 3
from Essau making a total 0f 31. 11 have been
discharged leaving a balance
of 20. With regards to the Central Division
area (Bansang Hospital) there
were seven reported cases.
The total number of death recorded in RVH
were 11 and one reported from
Bansang Hospital giving a total death toll of
12. So far 11 bodies were
identified including the one from Bansang. There
is still one unidentified
body at the RVH, that of a young male
teenager.
DECEASED
REGISTERED
#
NAME
AGE PROF.
ADD/SCH.
NATLTY
1. Gibi
Njie -
Student Nusrat
Gambian
2. Karamo Barrow
24 Student ICE
H.S
Gambian
3. Mohamed L. Chune
15 Student LK
School
Gambian
4. Lamin A Bojang
19 Student
Nusrat
Gambian
5. Ousman
Sabally Student
Brikamaba
Gambian
6. Omar
Barrow 25 Journalist
Latrikunda
Gambian
7. Ablie
Sajaw 3 Child N.
Jeshwang Prsume
Gambian
8. Bubacar Badgie
10 Student
Talingding
---------------
9. Calisco Prera
20 Civilian N. Jeshwang Not
Gambian
10. Reginald Carrol
25 Student 7 Grand St.
Sierra Leonean
11. Wuyeh Mansally
19 Student
Talingding
Senegalese
12.
Unidentified
Teenager
Contrary to Ebrima Ceesay’s source, the bodies are being
released as
relatives claim them. There are not decomposing bodies and
there was no
order from President Jammeh or any one else for the bodies to
be kept until
the President’s return. Ebrima’s source also claimed that
there are “14
confirmed dead in the mortuary" and this is not true. Ebrima,
could you
please asked your source or any body else to come up with the
names of the
remaining two death bodies.
PATIENTS ADMITTED IN
RVH
NAME
PROFESSION
ADDRESS/SCHOOL
1. Allasan Suwareh
Student
Banjul Academy
2. Musa
Sembeh 3 yrs old
child Serrekunda
3. Yusupha
Mbye
Student
Pipeline Comprehensive
4. Francis
Correa
Businessman
Serrekunda
5. Pa Demba Camara
Civilian
Kanifing
6. Seeday
Jobe
Civilian
Senegalese
7. Bakary Singateh
Civilian
Latrikunda Sabiji
8. Ousman Jobarteh
Student
Sepps
9. Sering Ceesay Civilian
non Gambian Mbolgou (Near Kaur)
10. Yankuba
Darboe Fire
Officer
Bakau Station
11. Pa Ansu Jarjue
Student
Forsters (Nema Kunku)
12. Lamin
Touray Civilian, ex GHS Brufut
(now residing
at
New Jeshwang)
13. Momodou Ceesay
Trader
Dippakunda
14. Bakary Njie
Student
Pipeline Comprehensive
15. Wuyeh
Fatty Arabic
Student Talinding
16.
Baba Suwareh
Student
Crab Island/ Ebo Town
17. John
Gomez
Student
GTTI / Ebo Town
18. Omar
Sosseh
Student St. A.H.S/ New Primet
St
19. Sulayman Krubally
Student
GTTI/Sancha-Sulay Jobe
20. Sana
Bojang
Civilian
New Jeshwang
21. Haddy Camara
Student
Ebeneezer High School
22. Sainabou Camara
Student
Bakoteh High School
23. Abdou Karim Janneh
Student
Sheikh Mass Kah
24. Francis Mendy
Student St. Agustine’s H.
School
25. Alasan Jammeh
Civilian
Talingding
26. Momodou Lamin Magassi Guard Comm's Office Brikama
27.
Oumie Jagne
Civilian
Kanifing
28. Amie
Jagne
Civilian
Kanifing
29. Baboucarr Bahoum
Student
Essau High School
30. S.
Senghore
Student
Essau High School
31. Modou
Joof
Student
Essau High School
REPORTED CASES SEEN IN KMC & WD
Serrekunda
Health
Centre
79 Cases
Brikama Health
Centre
31 Cases
Fagi-Kunda Health
Centre
8 Cases
Bakau Health
Centre
10
Cases
TOTAL
128 Cases
The above were treated and released.
PRESS
RELEASE
As Attorney General and Secretary of State for Justice, it is
my
constitutional duty to balance two equally valid, but often
competing,
principles:
i. the need to ensure that anyone who breaks
the law is called to answer for
it;
ii. and that in so doing the
accused person must be accorded a fair hearing.
The latter means that
the accused can only be arrested and later convicted
if there is sufficient
evidence to warrant it.
The sad events of the last few days deserve a
response from the Department
of State for Justice in line with the dual
constitutional role outlined
above.
In line with the Government’s
commitment to the principles of transparency
and accountability, and having
regard to the fact that justice must not only
be done, but it must be seen
to be done, I have invoked my powers under
section 11(1) of the Coroner’s
Act, Cap 7.04, and an application is
simultaneously being lodged with the
Chief Justice to order that an inquest
be held touching on the death of any
persons as a result of the events of
the 10th and 11th April
2000.
The purpose of the inquest is, of course, to establish whether or
not an
offence has been committed by any person, known or
unknown.
As for the case of Ebrima Barry (deceased), an information
will be filed in
the course of next week.
In view of the fact that
the credibility of our criminal justice system is
itself on trial, the
Attorney General will take the unusual step of
appointing a Public
Prosecutor under section 65 of the Criminal Procedure
Code. The Gambia Bar
Association, the family of the deceased, friends of
justice (at home or
abroad) are invited to suggest names of lawyers, (both
at home and abroad)
who can satisfactorily conduct the prosecution of the
alleged murders of
Ebrima Barry.
The Attorney General’s Chambers will provide logical
support; but will
otherwise do nothing to divert or influence the
prosecutor.
The State will, however only be responsible for meeting the
cost of local a
prosecutor.
As for the case of Binta, the Attorney
General’s Chambers is handicapped by
the absence of identification of the
alleged culprits.
Alhaji Cheyassin O. Secka
Attorney General
& Secretary of State
For Justice
Attorney General’s Chambers
&
Department of State for Justice
Maummar Ghadaffi
Avenue
Banjul
13 April, 2000
Above are the facts from
official sources, however I have my take on this
whole issue. Since my
arrival, I have consulted and spoken to both sides of
the fence and believe
me there are a lot of blame to go around.
April 10th 2000 is one of the
darkest day in the history of The Gambia,
surpassed only by the events of
July 31st, 1981 – the KUKOI FIASCO. I join
all members of the list to
express my sympathy and condolence to the
families, friend, and loved ones
of the bereaved. This is a sad event that
could have been avoided both by
the Security and the Students.
The Gambia is a democratic country and
the students have the constitutional
right to demonstrate peacefully.
However, in every democracy there are laws
and all demonstrators must seek
or obtain some form of permit from a given
authority, usually the local
police. GAMSU never applied for a permit
according to the authorities. The
Department of State for the Interior sent
a press release on Friday April
7, 2000 to all media houses including GRTS
claiming that they have received
information on a potential strike being
organised by the Student Union
(GAMSU). They warned students to seek
permission and that the security will
not take any unauthorised
demonstration lightly (I do not have the press
release in front of me, so I
am paraphrasing) . The student could have
simply applied for a permit, and
they would have been given the permit. On
Saturday April 8 and Sunday April
9, some members of the GAMSU Executive
met with some Secretaries of States
and discussed the whole matter. There
was an agreement for GAMSU Executive
to meet with the Vice President at
9:30 A.M on Monday April 10 since the
President will not in the country.
They demanded an escort for the Executive
from the GTTI to
StateHouse.
On Monday morning, the Army Chief of Staff and the
Secretary of State for
the Interior went to GTTI for further discuss with
the student and to escort
them to Banjul for the agreed meeting with the
Vice President. It was during
this time that things started to get out of
hand. Apparently some GAMSU
Executives were reluctant to go to the said
meeting for various reasons.
While the Chief of Staff and Secretary of
State Badgie were negotiating,
some GAMSU Members started forcing students
from school buses into GTTI. The
Police Intervention Unit came with batons
and shields and all hell broke
loose. I believe the security should and
could have contained things and
this would have limited the damaged done.
The demonstrations were emanating
from different fronts and in most places
the demonstrators out numbered the
police and the Intervention Unit. While
commotion ensued at GTTI, students
began attacking Kotu Police and Fire
Station, Bundung Police, Brikama
Police, Fagikunda Gamtel, West Field
Gamtel, Standard Bank and everything
within their reach that is identified
with Government. However, the majority
of the students wanted a peaceful
demonstration, but some non-students
seized the opportunity brought by the
chaotic situation to loot, destroy
private and public properties, banks
etc.
The army came after a lot of destruction has already taken place.
Soldiers
came armed, however when the police stations were being destroyed,
prisoners
were released in the process, especially at the Serrekunda Police
and the
armouries broken in to. The police carry very few arms and
individuals,
mostly criminal elements and civilians took them. As a matter
of fact some
civilians have been apprehended with arms and they are under
custody.
Live bullets were used and this resulted in the number of
deaths and
injuries. There are all kings of claims and counter claims about
who stated
the shooting and who was carrying live bullets. The Secretary of
Sate for
the Interior denied the fact that the armed forces used live
bullets. The
Commission of Enquiry that will be set up to investigate this
event will
verify this. However, the strange thing about this whole matter
is that not
single security official was reported shot while a lot of
unarmed students
were shot and brutally killed. The security has a lot
explaining to do.
The attacking of the Standard Bank at West Field,
International Bank of
Commerce in Serrekunda, the looting of shops and
supermarkets were generally
done by criminal elements who join the
demonstration for their own ends. A
lot of foreigners and non-students were
reported to be part of this whole
fiasco.
Radio 1 FM, Sud FM and
even GRTS Radio did not help the situation with their
phone-in programmes.
Instead they added fuel to the fire and their action
has caused more havoc
than good. In such a chaotic situation, having a phone
in programme for
every side to be venting their anger was not a good idea.
All sorts of
things, insults, misinformation, you named it were being said
over the air
and that was why they were all ordered to stop the phone-in
programmes by
the security. This was a justified action by the security.
The students
had a justified reason to demonstrate, however it went beyond
their control
when other non-students joined in. The security was ill
prepared and
overwhelmed and as a result they too over reacted.
The President is
saddened and mad about the whole incident both the handling
of it by the
security forces and the manner GAMSU went about it. The critics
could say
any thing about President Jammeh, however he has done more for
Gambian
youths than any leader ever did, from the colonial masters to
Jawara. The
President practically formed GAMSU. He encouraged them by
providing funds
for their various activities such as their rounds around the
country to
recruit and sensitise the students; he bought them computers for
their
office; gave them a super VHS camera, ordered a new Toyota van
(coaster)
for them, and his is helping them to have their own telecentres
(2) so that
they will have a permanent flow of revenue. These are just a few
of the
things he did for GAMSU. The President has built schools, a
University and
many other tertiary institutions since he came to power.
Gambian
youths have more access to education now than any other time in the
history
of The Gambia. To call him names and suggest otherwise is
very
unfair.
PEACE
Tombong
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