Sunday, April 17, 2016

Yaya Jammeh must be confronted in Banjul

Darboe (in middle) with UDP Executives
The late Solo Sandeng, Youth Leader 










Yaya Jammeh has just landed at Banjul International Airport, according to sources close to the airport operations. He's back from attending the OIC Summit in Ankara from where he directed his security forces to use violence against protesters demonstrating against his tyrannical rule.

Protesters were demanding that the draconian electoral laws be amended to guarantee a free and fair election. Barring amending the rule, the opposition parties are likely not to participate in the December 2016 presidential elections.

It was during the last Wednesday protest that Solo Sangeng, the leader of the Youth wing of the leading opposition party was arrested and held without bail at the notorious Mile II prisons. Also arrested were twenty-nine others, including young as well as old men and women.  

It was from Mile II prisons that they were transported in batches of five to the National Intelligence Agency's torture chambers known as "Bambadingka" and tortured.  Solo Sandeng died the same evening from internal wounds suffered as a result.  It was Jammeh who instructed the Director General of the NIA, Yankuba Badjie to dispose Mr. Sandeng's body at the NIA premises situated at the village of Tanji after he was informed of the youth leader's death.

The leader of the opposition, together with numerous members of his party executive, were out demonstrating and demanding the release of Solo Sandeng and other demonstrators when they were also arrested by paramilitary forces who later went to the opposition leader's house, ransacked the premises and stole valuables - a shameful act by an unpaid and highly abused members of Jammeh's security forces.

While the NIA torturers were busy torturing innocent Gambians and manhandling many of those arrested, Yaya Jammeh was busy directing the operations from his Ankara hotel room.  Now that he is back in Banjul, he must be confronted head-on, once and for all.  We must get rid of this monster.  

Gambians have had enough of this semi-illiterate coward with his tyrannical ways.  We are, therefore, urging all Gambians of all shades and hue to stand up to the dictator at protests and demonstrations against his regime in the coming days and weeks, if necessary. .

The youth, whose future continues to be mismanaged by a corrupt and incompetent regime, must come out to express their opposition to the repressive APRC regime of Yaya Jammeh.  Students at the University of The Gambia, GTTI, MDI and other institutions are encouraged to be part of this mass movement to end dictatorial rule in out country, once and for all.

We are also calling on the Christian communities in Banjul and the Kombos, of all denominations, to come out and protest against a regime determined to transform The Gambia into an Islamic State. Jammeh has just returned from the OIC Summit where he reaffirmed his commitment to seeking parliamentary approval to change the status of the Gambia from a secular to an Islamic State.

Join me in saying to Gambia and the world that:  Enough Is Enough and that #JammehMustGo.