(JollofNews) – An opposition party in the Gambia has called on the Gambian regime of President Adama Barrow to launch an immediate investigation into Friday’s shooting of unarmed protesters in Foni.
The Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) said it condemns the use of live ammunition by officers of the Senegal led military intervention force in the Gambia.
The party said it was really unnecessary for the soldiers to pull their triggers at unarmed civilians who were holding a peaceful protest.
One man was killed and six others were injured when soldiers barricade the road and fired live ammunition at the protesters who were demanding an end to the militarisation of their community.
The Government of Gambia has refused to condemn the shooting and has instead blamed the protesters of engaging in provocative acts against members of the security forces.
The minister of Interior, Mai Ahmad Fatty, even when further to accused the protesters of carrying traditional weapons at the demonstration.
Both the demonstrators and independent witnesses have denied the allegation, describing it as completely unfounded.
Failures
The GDC said the heavy response by the security officers defeats the purpose Gambians fought against during the 22-year rule of President Yahya Jammeh.
“The incident is a catastrophic intelligence failure and demonstrates the government failure to stitch together our much divided society,” said Mamma Kandeh, leader of GDC.
“The government’s snail pace in path to reconciliation will only further divide our society. GDC urges government to investigate the incident and address the situation without delay.”
We must be sincere and honest condemn all kinds of murders especially if we believe in democracy and justice there is no excuse ,,freely murder a unarmed person is a crime like or not time for justice for all life for life
Where were you asshole when yaya was slaughtering innocent Gambians like chicken. You now have the guts to say whatever you want, that’s democracy. Mama kandeh is a big hypocrite a d is and has always been working for Yaya jammeh.
Stupid you want to innocent people dying for nothing because of Jammeh???? Idiot hypocrite
wow you should like his the one should sit-up his mouth, as according to his public view based on his record his not one who should stand up, because he use to work with the former Gambia president dictator yahya regime therefore mama kande you need to backup and stop be as hypocritice Mr kande you know the former dictator he Kille a hundred innocent lives without any court hearing and no investigation therefore Mr kande based on you experience why your did not stand up to against you friend Mr jammeh during his dictatorship ruling in 22 years
so where are you when all these such criminals was committed, please can you answer these questions to public, “life’s is life’s humanity is humanity, your father is my father, Mr kande let’s work with humanity in justice nobody is better than other as longs we agreed democratization system which lead democracy governance,
A PLEA AND A RESPONSE TO END THE INSANITY OF BLAME GAME WHILE GAMBIANS BLEED AND DIE.
I am going to be as Diplomatic as I can be and yet make it clear to Some and Others who Trade on and Join the long line of Demagogues Who Allege about the Supposed “Violence that started in Kanilai Should be treated as a National Security Threat”. They also Allege with Insidious “Ethnic” Platitude Narratives such as, “we cannot afford to allow “Cassamance “rebels” to continue to destabilize “Our” country because of their Political Ideology based Genetically Inherited Destructive Tendencies. Wow. Now a Whole ethnic group is labelled with a Dissimissive “rebel” Status with all its Connotations. The Self Rightous Platitudes and Insults to a Whole Ethnic Group Not withstanding, the allegations are repugnant and Not Based on Evidence. Where is the Corraborating Evidence of Violence being Perpetrated by the Demonstrators or Protesters? Choose your terminology if wish. However, Provide the Evidence. No Parroting of Manipulating News and Selective Blame Propaganda from Some Official and Non Official Sources as an Attempt to Justify the Unjustifiable and Bloody Affair. It is Demeaning and “Cheapening” of our Blood and Lives one or more Deaths at a Time. Evidence available so far suggest the Violence Originated from those Entrusted to Keep the Peace, to Protect and to Provide Security to the Civilians killed. Furthermore, Rational and Reasonable Gambians can agree that there was more Violence, Unwarranted and Wanton Destruction at the Farato and Baffoloto “Riots”, and that is what they were by all definition, Riots. The Farato and Baffoloto Rioters burnt down Property for example, a Car and a Heavyweight Duty Construction Truck. Yet, No one was Shot Dead at the Farato and Baffoloto Riots. Exhibit One of the Selective, Unequal with Malicious Intent Punishment and Reaction to the two Incidents. On other hand, the Kanilai Demonstrators whoes’ Offense is burning of Tires and “blocking of traffic” were met with Bullets, “Not Retreating Police Officers” or Law enforcement officers who were being Assaulted by the “Rioters” of Farato and Baffoloto. Yet, the “Gaggle” bent on “BIAFRA-NIZING” FONI and the Jola, blame the Demonstrators for calling Attention to an Occupation by a Foreign Military Force in their Backyards, Streets, Farms and Schools. Are ECOMIG FORCES Stationed in All Regions and Boarder Areas with Senegal? Of course Not. Guilt by Affliation and the Impulse to Control and Punish would only succeed in creating a feeling and believe among the Jola of Foni that they are a Separate Entity. This would end in a “BIAFRA-NIZING” of Foni and the Foni Jola thus, Generating Recentment, Resistance and a Permanent State of Instability. I am for Law and Order especially, Law and Order that is applied with emphasis on Law and as well as Order from all Involved. I respectfully ask, who as a Free Born Gambian would Tolerate the Stationing of Foreign Military Forces (ECOMIG) in your Mist as an “Occupation Force without Protest? Truth is bitter pill, but take one must at one time or another. Would Badibu, Jarra, Kiang, or the West Coast and Metropolitan Banjul, Bakau and Serekunda inhabitants Tolerate Occupation? It’s a Unanimous No. It is one thing to “Contract Out Gambia’s Souvereignity to Macky Sall and Senegal or any willing Entity, but another to let them kill innocent Gambian citizens with Impunity like in 1981. Like in 1981, it was alleged then that it was for National Security? Whoes National Security? The Gambia or Senegal’s? Security at any COST for a given Ethnic Group or for All Gambians? Hope, it is for All Gambians and the Blood and Lives Sacrificed Will be Worth the “Security”. I for one would rather all those who were killed in 1981 and before, as well as those from 1994 to the Present are as Alive as you and I and the rest of the Gambians. I would rather be with Security without State Sanctioned Murder, instead of Murder in the Name of State Security. The two JJs (Jawara and Jammeh), Evoked National Secutity for the Gambia as the Justification of the Killings of Gambians and now the same is Revisited upon us again. One may be tempted to Justify one against another depending on your Ethnic or Political Allegiance and Proclivity. However, as Gambians, we should be Collectively Concerned if not Alarmed by the “Cheapening” of Gambian Blood and Lives. I am not a Politician, nor a Political Scientist. However, National Security of a Country Must Not be and Should Not be Defined, nor Sustained by Another. If it does, it is always within a Master-Servant Relationship however Temporary. For a Period following the end of World War II, the United States of America and Japan were understandably in such a Relationship under General McArthur’s Military Occupation due to the Attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Imperial Army and the Ultimate Official Entry of the United States in World War II. Unlike Japan, GAMBIA did Not Attack Senegal or any of its Neighbors. Yet, Senegal Seem to Have a Free Hand at Spilling Gambian Blood at Will and in the Name of National Security, National or Local. Furthermore, unlike the Gambia, Japan already had an Industrial Based and a Developed Infrastructure that allowed it to come out of the Occupation with otherwise Little to Complain about thanks to the American Sense of Justice and Fair Play. I am Not sure that the same can be said of the Gambian experience with Senegal in the Past or Present. I am not an anti Senegalese. I have family members all over Senegal. Being an Optimist with a Hopeful Disposition, I am disposed to Open Up my Heart and Thoughts with a Prayer for Forgiveness and Redemption. Forgiveness and Redemption from any and all Gambians including my fellow Gambian who may be Offended by my thoughts and words. Like the Scriptures said, “God Hath Made of One Blood All Nations”….All Gambians are a part of the Nations as are the Senegalese, the Ghanaians and Nigerians. Let’s all Pray but at the same time work to Mitigate the Blame Game that seem to have gotten a Death grip of Bloody Murder on our National and Collective Nation State’s Neck, for an Unholy Collective Agony and Burial. No matter How, Who, and Why a Gambian is killed, it is not for me or any Gambian to Rationalise, Justify or Explain it Away. GAMBIA and GAMBIANS need a National Day of Prayers and Redemption. A Day that Neighbor Approaches or Visits a Neighbor and Asks For Forgiveness. A Day of Sharing and Emoting. A Day to Reflect on the Past, Present and Future Path For the Gambia and Gambians. Let us Begin the Healing and STOP the Killing and the “Cheapening” of our Blood and Lives. One People, One Destiny. To those who may be Offended by my thoughts and words, I am requesting for your Forgiveness and Prayers for my Continued Growth in Wisdom, Knowledge and the Will to Admit My Imperfection.
What a damn hypocrite you are Mama Kandeh. You sat on your fat ass as a national assembly member under the banner of APRC while our brothers and sisters were being tortured to death, our women being raped, our beloved citizens forcefully disappeared without trace all perpetrated by the government you were part of. No words of condemnation or call for any investigation came from your mouth. Why, you damn coward? You were afraid to be buried alive or fed to some crocodiles in some remote pool in Kanilai. Is that the reason you were quiet?
You know Kandeh, the reason why Natty Dread never voted in her life is because of politicians like you who discredited the name politics. You are trying to increase your support base in the most cynical of ways by coming out now calling for an investigation, when yourself should be investigated for being an accessory to dictatorship.
Fire burn rascal politicians like you Kandeh and God willing you will never be the one that the Gambian people will mandate to govern. Your insidious actions in this holy month of Ramadan show what a callous and opportunistic beast you are. Inflame the already inflammatory situation and your ass will be burn in the flame before anybody.
Shame on you Kandeh.
Sidi
Nobody must get “offended” in our different individual expressions of opinions in our collective strives to better our societal advancements together…
Shall I remind you; lest we forgot too soon that, the very same “gun-wielding” Senegalese soldiers were also stationed in our communities, necessitated by the 1981 Kukoi samba Sanyang bloodthirsty rebellious madness…
These soldiers were stationed in the very heart of the communities; at the town centre, market & health centre area in Brikama in particular…?
The citizens hosted them in good faith, lived & intermingled happily with them including the visitors passers-by plying to & through Brikama as a cosmopolitan town; & life continued as normal as possible…
All must correct & rectify me, if I’m wrong but I can’t remember these soldiers deliberately killing any innocent people in cold-blood…??
I believe it’s the mfdc dissidents & elements in Foni who aren’t at peace with themselves; or yet is the backlash of anger against the Senegalese because they (Senegal) were instrumental in assisting peasantry Gambia to flush our MURDEROUS kanilai KILLER DEVIL out of Gambia down the toilet, who (yaya) happens to be the breadwinner of the regions of Foni from the ill-gotten thieveries from the Gambian meagre state resources, funds & grants as admitted to by the “kanilai alkalo’s son” on Freedom newspaper…???
We all condemn the loss of innocent lives; whether from the senseless criminal landmines &/ from the unfortunate death of protester- demonstrators…
The “Barrow government” is mandatorily bound to independently investigate & redress justice for ALL & ANY innocent loss of life; for ALL lives are EQUAL; be it mine, yours &/ Barrow’s own life…
Yes Bajaw>> The Barrow government have duty of care to each and every citizen.
All this talk talk about conspiracy theories/ low level insurgencies/ attacks against the leader of an opposition party/ allegations upon allegations that are unproven only dismantles bit by sorry bit >> the aims and objectives of The Barrow Government and true democratic dispensation. If President Barrow and Mai Fatty feel the need for ECOWAS troops to stay, patrol and reinforce and protect/ The Gambia, Then so be it/ That is their view at this time. But armed troops can not go around shooting people.
Someone has died.. Some have been injured. The truth has to be established and who ever was at fault has to be investigated with conclusions made public.
Hey, it is wrong for a president to give the impression that he is the bread winner of a particular people or region inside a country, specially when that president was a pauper and became incumbent through the forceful seizure of power.
Mose you’ve asked a good question and I think it’s far from the desires of revenge. Where were all those idiots and hypocrites when Gambians got slain like chickens?
There is no measure to certain Gambians’ deadly creepy hypocrisy and cold-bloodedness. To some people, ‘grief’ never existed until it knocks on their doors or close to their doors. I wonder how Mamma Kandeh felt when school children got massacred by Jammeh’s half-minded gunmen. How would have Mamma Kandeh felt like when one of those bullets from those kid killer’s guns flew it’s way straight into one of Mamma Kandeh’s children’s head? Or, if it were his blood brother tied in a car, hit with a baseball bat dead, sprinkled with petrol and burnt. The loss of life is regrettable in most circumstances if not all but heartless hypocrites should just shut the hell of their mouth about it. No, they won’t do that but run off their mouths like devils outta hell who wouldn’t let the right people talk at the right time about the wrong done.
Shame !!Instead of condemning the murder of the state the ministry of interior accuses the citizens of Foni of violent and no one of the government repents, so Foni will pay a lot, a foni without defense without justice, If we were acting like Jammeh why changes then????
Stupid idiot =Peace#. Only people who condemned the killings of school children, the cold-blooded murder of Ousman Koro Ceesay, Deyda Hydara, Solo Sandeng, Solo Nkurumah and the shameless violation of our women’s dignity etc. etc., by the criminal Yayah Jammeh and his cohorts, are the people have a right to condemn the recent killing of a protester. Animals like you just need to shut the **** **.
=peace#
For God sake will you please go back to the gutter you came from. You are not fit for any purpose that will ever benefit our nation and its people. Annoying insect i will love to trample on hard.
If the government does not rule for all in three years there will be another coalition led by Khalifa Sallah to win The next general election