The Association of Nongovernmental Organizations in The Gambia (TANGO) has learnt with dismay and displeasure the disproportionate use of force by personnel of the Police Intervention Unit in Faraba leading to the death of two youth and injuries to several more on Monday 18 June 2018.
It is with a heavy heart that TANGO extends heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and prays that the departed souls rest in perfect peace and hopes for a speedy recovery for the injured. We wish to call on the residents of Faraba to continue to exercise restraint and observe the rule of law in defending their rights and welfare. All citizens have a duty to maintain the unity, peace and stability of the Gambia.
The residents of Faraba and indeed every Gambian have a constitutional right to peacefully protest in protecting their rights and welfare. This right is sacrosanct and must be protected by those we voted in power to do so. We are therefore shocked that the Gambia Government would deploy police armed with live bullets to afflict its own people with this fatal blow in the guise of crowd control.
The Faraba Incident brings to question the very rational for the democratic change that Gambians registered on 1st December 2016. During the dictatorship Gambians had almost no means to vent out their disagreement with government decisions and actions while also lacking effective avenues for redress. We are of the view that this new political dispensation offers the unique opportunity where Gambians could utilize peaceful, democratic and nonviolent means of disagreement and engagement with the State.
We are therefore concerned that, not only in Faraba but there has been several instances in many other communities around the country where citizens face heavy-handedness from the police including arrests, detentions and prosecutions for merely seeking to express their disagreement with certain government decision that they feel infringe on their rights.
In light of the above, TANGO hereby calls on the President as well as the National Assembly to institute an independent enquiry to determine the circumstances leading to the use of force and the loss of life and property in Faraba on Monday 18 June 2018 and ensure that perpetrators are brought to book. Furthermore TANGO urges President Adama Barrow to urgently address the nation as a means to stabilize the situation and assure citizens of the commitment of his Government to the protection of the rights and welfare of Gambians.
TANGO wishes to urge all citizens and CSOs in particular to remain vigilant, peaceful and committed to the ideals of democracy and good governance in our country. For that matter TANGO intends to mobilize the Civil Society and all concerned citizens as a whole to embark on a pro-democracy march in July 2018 at a time and date to be communicated shortly, to remind our Government and people of our decision to move from tyranny to democracy and the rule of law in our dear motherland.
We are slowly descending back to dictatorship. The arrests of two civilians in May for criticising Barrow and Darbo, the trial of the Gunjur youths for protecting their environment against the Chinese Fishing company, the Busumbally unrest and now the shameless shooting of unarmed civilians genuinely protesting against the mining exploitation of a greedy business known to be a close friend of Barrow. All these incidents are remindful of the way Jammeh started instilling fear among the people until he turned himself as the most brutal dictator in Africa.
Keluntang is that your opinion or you’ve heard that from high authorities that we are decending back to dictatorship?look your people should Stop this hypocrital Comments on Social Medias and fine a Solutions to avoid such tragic incidents happening in our country rather than this blame games your Intelligence is far above such we all know actions will be taken whose soever is behind this killings of our feature generation. Killer Machines of the ex regime. So wakeup bro
Baba,
since when do you need “high authority“ to tell you a country is descending into to dictatorship for you to be sure it’s in fact a dictatorship. Findinding a solution is at this moment the sole responsibility of the government of the day. And the government of the day is a swarm of incompetent, cowardly and self serving joes. Has Adama and his team even talk to the nation on what’s happening? A press release in times of a crises like this one is insulting. I seriously think he just does not care.
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Why anyone would like to defend the indefensible is beyond me. Well I remember those who in one way or the other found themselves drinking from the fountain of public resources in Yaya‘s government never dare castigate his regime. Is it not the same thing we are witnessing once again?
So there is little to no difference between the present government and the governments of yester years.
Just think about it!
Baba, I care less about tribal politics. The hard truth is that the people who voted for Barrow and the coalition are today being treated as enemies of the state and subjected to arbitrary arrests and harassment. Appointments based on tribal affiliation is wrong. A responsible leader would have fired the IG of Police and immediately set up an independent commission to look into the incident. Every thing about this new government is wrong. We need a new team of responsible leadership based on merit and not political affiliation. Those who fired the shots must face the law.
Keluntang keep speaking up!
This government is a failure. Listen to Fatoumatta speaking to journalists. Incompetence is what is spewing out of her mouth and she is much more competent than Adama.
@Dida: why are you keeping quiet in a time like this?
Keluntang i don’t exchange words aggressiv people. Thanks i have heard of what you’ve said.
Mwalimu i just an answer keluntang not you as long as you mentioned Tribe in you Comments go 10000kms always me because my family is a totally Mixed with diffrent Tribes.so Please
Baba am truly sorry if you feel I am rubbing my nose into a “private” conversation. I just thought we are talking about our country, The Gambia and Gambians. In which case, it will be the ligimate right and duty of all of us to share our thoughts and feelings when the topic concerns same.
I understand mwalimu i live in the West here for 18yrs and Thanks to Allah am comfortable here but that Doesn’t mean i should say words that will increases people Anger and where that ends is only Allah who knows so that why we should be very careful in constructing Comments i know we are all frustrated because of the past we’ve lost so many within this past 24yrs and am so Scared mwalimu at this point i time we have so many bad elements in this Government generally i mean both the Security and the Civil Service. I apololgise to you too if i should break you is just that i am Scared of the insults bombating in this Social Media and i hope you accept my apology. Thanks Baba am at Work and am sorry made mistakes im my sentence construction take care and have a pleasant day.bye
Baba if one of those killed happened to be a relative of yours, today you Will be mad with the authorities. Isn’t it time we address the ineffective leadership that is so characteristic with this new government? In the absence of strong leadership, every party leader in the coalition is behaving like a president. We decided for change not this type of change. Thank you Mwalimu we should all be concerned where our country is heading. The death toll has risen to three.
Yaya S. Darboe, Jollofnews 20th June 2018
You see how some of you could be callous, untruthful and unpatriotic. The Faraba Banta villagers, youth, men, women have been very patient on this issue for over two months well before the Holy month of Ramadan some say the matter had been brewing for over a year now.
I believe you have not been following the incidences; on eyeafrica.com, the social medias, BBC Focus on Africa, Gambia On-line tabloids/newspapers.
The villagers had some fracass with the security officers before Ramadan and quite a few of them were arrested, jailed until their release on bail after some days in the nasty/very filthy Banjul police gaols.
They told the USELESS Barrow administration, spotlessly clear that this is not politics, it is about their present and future livelihood. In fact, according to statistics, this one time die-hard APRC village, swapped allegiance, supported and overwhelming voted for the “coalition” in the Presidential, Parliamentary and Councillor elections. They have unreservedly demonstrated their support for this HOPELESS administration.
The mining of sand will eventually create drains that will flood to the fertile rice fields which every Kambilo in Kombo Faraba Banta ploughs. These rice fields serve double pueposes. Immediately after the rains they are turned into vegetable gardens where the women accrue very healthy incomes for their family upkeep: pay their children’s education fees, transport fares, medical care, procure condiments for food, cloth the family etc etc…. The village is among Kombos most prolific gardenimg villages in all kinds of vegetables. They are really excellent farmers.
The Julakay SELFISH mining, which is NOT in the NATIONAL interest, would halt that socio-economic gain for the villagers, thus impoverish them for posterity.
Please listen to the Faraba Banta women’s pleas/suggestions/opinions on Eyeafrica.com and other social medias and learn properly what these rural farming population is trying to convey to the world.
Instead of serving the people’s collective interest, the USELESS, SELFISH and CORRUPT Barrow administration paid lipservice to the issue, turned a blind eye, a deaf ear and deliberately shut their FILTHY mouths to appease the lone interest of Julakay.
Why did Julakay boast in the IGP’s office that he was holding a valid government licence to mine and nothing on earth would stop him from doing it? Why? Simply because he was betting on his relationship with Barrow and Ousainou Darbo and IGP Kinteh. After all, what is a licence. Isn’t it an authoritative document that is given and can be revoked to serve the interest of a people?
At times, RIGHTS are not given on the golden plate. One has to fight for them. The rulers and the ruled are all inextricably bound to follow the collective interest of their nation/country. Otherwise regrettable incidences like thwe Faraba Banta case can occur!
Solid points from our brother Babu without the vitriol characterization.
Babu Soli,I have to agree with you on this one. There is no ranting, yelling or profane language. This analysis makes lot of sense. No more profanities please.
Babu Soli i agree 100percent with you,that’s the reason Why when Leadership is Messing with our citizery we should all come together set the Record straight and try in all possible way to address the suituation in an honest way i Commend you for what you wrote here.
IGP kinteh and Interior Minister should be dismiss from there job with immidiate effect we can’t sit and the past be repeated again i can’t Imagine how can Security forces especially the p/military is so wicked and heartless but i don’t Blame the Junior Officers but their authorities shame on you all and am praying to Allah that Let them also have no peace here and After. Veeeeerry sad about our gambia