(AFP) – Gambia’s former president Yahya Jammeh ordered the massacre of some 30 migrants he said were “mercenaries” sent to topple him in 2005, a member of the former strongman’s hit squad told a truth commission on Tuesday.
The testimony comes a day after another army officer accused Jammeh of ordering the murder of a leading journalist who worked for an independent newspaper and wrote articles about corruption that marked Jammeh’s iron-fisted rule for 22 years.
Omar Jallow, a former officer in the Presidential Guard, said about 45 Europe-bound migrants comprising nationals from Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo, were arrested on a beach while trying to get to Europe.
“Yahya Jammeh ordered for the execution of the foreign nationals,” believing they were mercenaries sent to topple him, Jallow said.
They were taken to a firing range and then the soldiers were told by their commanding officer, Lieutenant Solo Bojang, that the captives were to be killed.
“Solo said these people were mercenaries and he told us that the order from the former head of State (Yahya Jammeh) was to fire at them,” he said, adding that the bodies were thrown in a well.
“I was given 100 dollars by one of them who pleaded to me to allow him say his last prayers, but before he completely knelt down (another soldier) fired at him. I used the 100 dollars,” Jallow said.
Human Rights Watch said the other migrants were also killed.
Jammeh seized power in a bloodless coup in 1994 in the former British colony.
His refusal to leave power after losing a presidential election in 2016 sparked a regional crisis in West Africa, which ended when Jammeh agreed to live in exile in Equatorial Guinea.
This brutal killing is very disturbing, I see no reason why jammeh should not be charged.
Sidi and co , making light of Jammeh’s brutality are yet to see the full extent of Jammeh’s carnage.
Jammeh will be prosecuted no matter how long it takes.
And it does not surprise me that he used soldiers from deprived social environs to wreck our society. All soldiers so far mentioned are from Foni and from the borders regions. He intoxicated this illiterates with reward and revenge against whatever he saw as tantamount to a normal Gambia.
Tafel and Kemo,
Brutal killings as reiterated at the TRRC?
How much you can ascertain those killings attributing them to Jammeh is just a guess work and your ardent believe in stories and hearsay.
Do you believe that Haruna Jatta was gunned down in his village, three youths were gunned down in Kombo Faraba Banta, and yesterday Darboe was bludgeoned to death in police custody? Which leader should be called to the TRRC to answer those cold-blooded murders?
If you are not blowing the hypocrite’s trumpet, give me an answer. A patriotic answer!!!!
Babu soli, now you accept that jammeh kill, that’s why you are comparing
Babu Soli, be honest to yourself and admit these:
1. We have condemned the killings of Haruna Jatta and the Faraba Banta youths on this forum and demanded that government take action, which it did, whether you think that is adequate or not;
2. You have never even admitted the deaths under Yaya Jammeh, and have continuously questioned the testimonies of witnesses before the TRRC, never mind apportion blame on him;
3. Despite the differences in circumstances between deaths under Jammeh and Barrow, you have adopted the attitude of blaming Barrow and calling him names, when no one has attributed the killings to him directly, whilst defending Jammeh when perpetrators and victims directly attribute their actions and sufferings to him;
4. The death of Mr Darboe was not the result of being “bludgeoned” under Police custody, as far as the story is concerned. This is a blatantly false statement and (I have to be brutally honest with you) you should be ashamed to make such a claim on a public forum.
Mr Darboe died at home after being released from Police custody due to his medical condition. Tragic and sad as it may be, at least his family had access to his remains, can superficially examine his body to verify torture (as marks will be left) and most importantly, he can be laid to rest and given a decent burial.
Neither the hundreds of Yaya Jammeh’s victims, who are scattered in unmarked graves around the country or thrown down six feet deep in an old well somewhere in the jungles of Cassamance, nor their families have been accorded such respect by the brute you call a patriot. Really, your insensitivity should be a cause for concern, especially as you graduate into an elder of our beloved country. What attitudes (Jikko) are our young supposed to learn from an insensitive community elder?
That is a very disturbing story indeed! What an unhappy fate those migrants had! I was shocked to read the part about the man who paid to say his last prayers but weren’t even given the time to do it properly. That’s so sad and cruel, those who did it have no compassion in their hearts?
May the departed souls be welcome in God’s bosom, amen!
Babu Yaya was the biggest neocolonial coon to have ever lived in The Gambia. These were fellow Afrikkans trying to escape poverty for a supposed better life in Europe. He has absolutely no evidence to suggest our “captured” brothers were up to mercenary activities. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
He ordered them executed because of his paranoia and that, that which he has done to others was about to catch up with him.
Yes we are seeing signs of Adama doing exactly just what Yaya did. Is that what you want to use to exonerate Yaya Jammeh, the biggest serial killer and rapist Gambia has ever known?
As I said to you in one thread on this platform, you can call the sun a moon but that makes no difference. Yaya is a coward, a thief, a philanderer and a liar. The TRRC is here for every Gambian. If you want to debunk some of the horrific stories that are coming out of testimony halls of the TRRC, I will be happy to support you do that. But until than, have respect for those who have lost their lives and the ones they left behind. Your utterances are insensitive to their pains, despair and a right to morn in serenity.