(JollofNews) – A former Gambian Interior minister who was indicted for his role in the slaughter of over a dozen school children in April 2000 was Monday
reappointed by President Yahya Jammeh as minister of Works, Transport and Construction Infrastructure.
Ousman Badjie, 47, who served as minister of the Interior and Religious Affairs from 1999 to 2003 was indicted by a commission of inquiry for his role in the bloody crackdown of what was supposed to be a peaceful student demonstration in 2000.
Over 14 students where killed and many others were wounded when security officers open fired on them for taking to the streets to seek justice for the murder and rape of their colleagues by security officers.
Although Mr Badjie and other senior security officers were indicted by a commission of inquiry for their role in the murder of demonstrators, he was given immunity by the government of President Yahy Jammeh.
Since his removal as Interior minister in 2003, Badjie continued to command the respect of President Jammeh who rewarded him with a number of high profile appointments including the position of permanent representative of the Gambia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, ambassador to France and permanent delegate to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and ambassador to Morocco, Tunisia and Cyprus.
The new Works, Transport and Construction Infrastructure minister started his career in the police and was one time a Police Commissioner of the Gambia Police Force. He was also a Lieutenant in the defunct Gambia National Gendarmerie.
The father of five attended the Military Academy of Saint Louis, in Senegal, from 1980 to 1988. During that period he gained his Brevet de fin d’Etudes moyennes (in 1984), after which he worked towards the first and second parts of his Baccalaureate, being awarded them in 1986 and 1988 respectively.
Between 1988 and 1990 he attended the National School of Active Officers of Thies, Senegal, from 1988 to 1990. He also attended the Turkish Gendarmerie Commando School of Foca, in Izmir between 1991 and 1992 after which he enrolled at the Ecole Supérieure d’ Application des Officiers de la Gendarmerie Royal, in Marrakech, Morocco.
Mr Badjie speaks French, English, Jola, Wollof, Mandinka and has knowledge of Turkish and German.
