Hello Ebrima I use this opportunity to extend to you and through you to the rest of the members on the list fraternal greetings from The Gambia. I larrived in the US from the Gambia on June 15th. I am now in Seattle, WA. I was an eye witness to the events of April 10. Then I was taking my final course in the university extension program. On that day, I left my home, Bundung, around 8.15am to attend classes at MDI. I knew before hand that there would be a student demo that day. On arriving at the Aisamarie Cinema, I found a big crowd gathered on the way. Then a millitary vehicle came from the direction of the market at break neck speed. They fired into the crowd(then it was blanks) and everyone ran for safety. I then decided to return home. After about an hour, I decided to return to the streets to see what was happening. But I was not the least prepared for what I saw. At the police station in Srrekunda, arrested students from Bakoteh end were been brought and physically manhandled. Even some primary pupils were not spared. The Paramilitary were beating people with truncheons, gun butts, hose pipes, etc. School girls were been stripped naked and humuliated. I could not stand this. I then took the dippa kunda road to Kairaba Avenue and walked my way to West field junction. The paramilitary were at it there also. Firing indiscriminately into the crowd. Tey were kicking, beating students like animals, saying that they would kill all students that day. I proceeded to serrekunda via the health center. At the health center, I saw the first casualties of the day. Two dead bodies were loaded intro the ambulance headed for Banjul. One of the victims was shot jus below the left ear and that part of the head was totally crushed. After a few moments, another body was brought. That one was shot just below the right arm pit and he was bleeding profusely. You would mistaken his white T shirt for a red one. Near the serrekunda mosque, a parakilitary stabbed one student on the chest when he was over powered. I later learnt that about 7 students including a red cross volunteer (Omar Barrow) were shot in and around the premises of the red cross and the mobile traffice unit, in the presence of the army chief of staff. Others who were detained at the later place were made to crawl on their bellies, told to lie face up and look at the sun, etc. Is that not torture? Because of the anger of the students at these evevts, the paras were helpless and they later withdrew from the streets to safe their lives. Around 12 pm that day, the only peple I saw on the vicinity of serekunda were soldiers. When i returned to serrekunda police, it was on fire. The students got extra angry when news reached them that there colleagues were being killed. I also regularly attended the sittings of the commission of inquiry before I left. But I do not have nuch faith in it, not because the commissioners are not up to the job, but because most peolple who appeared before it did not tell the truth, including the SOS for interior who is thw worst liar I ever saw. Can you imagine a paramilitary inspector saying he does not know an AK 47 or that he could not identify a live bullet from a blank? he Interior SOS was shameless enough to say that no live bulles were used even in the face of medical evidence. I have a lot to write but this piece is already long enough. I am sorry that you have to take some time to read this. Lastly, I am a bit disappointed with some of the pieces I have read. With all due respect to all the contributors, I think it will be more helpful if we direct the discussions to issues back home than on personal attacks. I am sorry if I hurt anybody's feelings but thats how I see it. Thanks for the time Your Gambian Brother Sulayman Jobarteh ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------