(JollofNews) – At least ten soldier of the Gambia’s State Guard Division have been arrested and detained in connection with the disappearance of detainees during the regime of former President Yahya Jammeh.
Mr Jammeh, who ruled the Gambia for 22 years, is accused of committing many human rights abuses with impunity including enforced disappearances, arrest and torture of journalists and government critics.
Police are currently investigating 30 cases of suspected extra-judicial killings by security officers and have already discovered seven secret graves of people who died in state custody.
The arrested soldiers are being detained at an undisclosed security installation under the ‘Armed Forces Act’ and helping authorities with their investigations.
“As you may know already, we started with the grave of the late Solo Sandeng and on Friday the bodies of three people, believed to be the December 30 attackers were exhumed and others will be exhumed in the near future,” said Baboucar Sarr, Crime Management Coordinator of the Gambia Police Force.
“We cannot give specific information on the investigation as you know that may jeopardise the whole exercise.”
Under the Armed Forces Act, Gambian authorities can arrest and detain soldiers indefinitely pending the outcome of an investigation.
By the way, why is Foday Makalo’s name never mentioned in all this debate on disappearances and arbitrary killings? Or has he resurfaced somewhere that we don’t know?
Foday makalo fell out with jammeh and fled to Mali . Once listened to his interview narrating his narrow escape from the Gambia. He lived in Mali for some time and died there of natural causes contrary to what many thought that he was murdered and buried in late alagie tabora mannehs garden. Foday definitely died in Mali of natural causes . I hope this helps
All those found wanting in crimes against ordinary citizens most face justice.
Janjan1, about time you allowed your reluctant inner self to be Honest and be Guided by an Ethical Dilemma in the Matter of: All bad Mangoes or “Dutolu” Within the Second Republic of former President Yaya Jammeh. I would be more Specific, the Head of the Gambia Police, Mr. Sonko who Served in the Jammeh regime and very probably was involved in the arrest of Solo Sandeng and later Ousainou Darbo is still very much Free and still in the same Position. Why? May be bacsuse he is Mandinka and UDP? There are others like Mr. Sonko who are not only Protected by Mai Fatty and Ousainou Darbo for Nothing but because of THEIR “Mandinkaness”. If we are to be Believed and Trusted when Shouting at the top of our Lungs and Kidneys about our Denial of the Existence of Tribalism and Marginalization in the Gambia, we must first Show by Action and Behavior that we mean what we say, and say what we mean. As they say, “Walk the Walk” and Lead by Example. We have always had Tribal Based Marginalization and Corruptive Practices in the Gambia, and yet, we manage to look the other way. We pretend to be unaware of it. We are good at “See no evil”, Hear no evil, Except speaking of evil. We are very good at that when we believe and think that it is Safe to engage in such behavior. I realize that Behavior cannot be legislated nor imposed from an Institution such as a government. However, it is imperative that the Gambia and Gambians Urgently and Meaningfully Embark on a Determined Grassroots AND Institutional Level Practical Sensitization of the Gambian Citizens on the Issue of Ethnic Group Based Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Negative Perceptions of each other. It is Dishonest and Insincere to pretend that those who Speak out and about Tribalism are Tribalist and are Not somehow Patriots or are “a danger to the Gambian State”. Thst That’s Horse Shit, Pardon my Latin, and is more of the proverbial saying, “Sticking ones head in the sand” or Pretending that the Naked Emperor is Fully Cloth. Majority Ethnic Groups everywhere in the World have the SAME Trait. Denial, Resistance and later Acceptance of the Fact that Ethnic Group Based Marginalization, Maltreatment and Disenfranchisement Exists and that it is a Cancer of the Society. The United States of America went through this experience and had to Proactively and Intentionally Deligitimize Legal and Socio-economic Discrimination of the people of African decent. Unfortunately, the United States has Not being able to Wholeheartedly embrace Equality nor extend the Economic and Social Mobility to Minorities especially the African Americans as compared to the Caucasians. In the Gambia, the Jola, Manjako and the Karonika and other of the Traditional Forest dwelling People of the Senegambia but especially in the Gambia Face the same Insidious and Dehumanizing Behavior and Practice. Those who are the Perpetrators and Beneficiary of these Cancer, Deny its existence, Resist any attempt to eliminate it, and as a last resort, Accept it after much Pain and Suffering and sometimes with the Spilling of Blood on both Sides. It does not have to be. We are more than the Sum Total of Our Individual Ethnic Group or Region. GAMBIA is more than the Sum Total of One Individual One Ethnic Group and Region. One Gambia, One People, One Destiny.
Sidi n bojang u are saying something which u don’t have any idea about it ,we should stop writing nonsense ,
Omar Yano Camara!
Well said Omar,Sidi Bojang is a confused nob jockey bereft of all sense of reality. He live in cuckoo land with his twisted insidious self defeating hatred of Mandinkas. Lets leave him to bark himself to oblivion.
If we could have a copy of the “deal” made to get Jammeh to leave/ Then we may better understand why things are concentrated on his bad boy’s
For sure if found guilty. they must pay there debt to society, But today is the anniversary of the brutal killing and maiming of 14 students and Journalist and Red Cross worker Omar Barrow, and at least 50 others, we must also learn of who gave the order to open fire. In Gambia there are always witness’s to everything.