Solo Sandeng died in custody, admits the Jammeh regime. What about Sheriff Diba and others?

Jammeh's Director of Public Prosecution 

After advancing endless stories and blatant lies about what happened to Ebrima Solo Sandeng, the UDP youth leader who was arrested and taken away by Jammeh's security agents, it is being reported that the regime has finally admitted in court that the youth leader died during "interrogation"at the hands of the notorious National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

Immediately following his arrest, we reported that Solo Sandeng died at the hands of the NIA torturers and his body disposed of at the Tanji NIA office complex.

The story was vehemently denied at the time until Yaya Jammeh finally admitted in a Jeune Afrique interview recently that indeed Solo Sandeng died while under interrogation.

In fact, he went out of his way to wonder why everyone was obsessed that one person died while in custody. According to Jammeh, he cannot comprehend why the international community, particularly the United Nations is demanding an investigation of the death of one person who died in custody during interrogation.  He asked rhetorically "what's the problem?  People die in detention or during interrogation.  It's common," he exclaimed.

His admission, whether it was inadvertent or not, cleared the way for the prosecution to come out clean today to admit that Solo Sandeng died in the hands of Jammeh's security agents. What remains now is for Solo Sandeng's body be exhumed and handed over to his family.

The admission also came at the heels of the escape of the "NIA doctor" from The Gambia who was called upon to provide medical assistance to what was described by an eyewitness as a "lifeless body." Jammeh is worried that the " NIA doctor" will be a valuable witness in shedding light, not only in the Solo Sandeng case but in numerous other torture cases some of which have resulted in deaths.  He may also be carrying in his possession video evidence which could further incriminate a regime that systematically use torture as a means of remaining in power.

Readers will recall that Sheriff Diba, the union leader of the Gambia National Transport Control Association (GNTCA) also died under similar circumstances and his death was also denied by the regime.  In this case, Jammeh's Information, Sheriff Bojang, denied reports that the trade unionist was tortured and killed by the country's security agents.  The Information Minister told AFP that GNTCA leader and other union officials "were never picked up or at anytime detained by the National Intelligence Agency."

The Minister proceeded to offer his own diagnosis of the medical condition of the union leader who suffered from "...uncomplicated malaria and hypertension."  His illness took a turn for the worse" and died the next day.  There was no evidence of external or internal injury," Minister Bojang concluded his diagnosis.

The International Transport Workers' Federation's official who demanded an independent inquiry into Mr. Diba's death could not help but describe Minster Bojang's performance as nothing more than "sophistry."

The international community will continue to demand for independent investigations of all victims of the vile regime of Yaya Jammeh who have been tortured and murdered by his security agents.

Impeach Yaya Jammeh

Yaya Jammeh 

When Yaya Jammeh took the oath of office, he swore to protect all Gambians regardless of political or tribal affiliation.  He has violated that pledge on June 6th 2016 when he went on a incitement of violence tirade against the Mandinka ethnic group whom he vowed " to kill one by one and put them where even a fly cannot find them."  He referred to Mandinkas as his "enemies and foreigners" in their own land.

Jammeh should therefore be impeached by the National Assembly for violating the Constitution and shirking his responsibilities as Head of State.  He is guilty of incitement of violence by threatening to eliminate the Mandinkas.

He has been condemned by the Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide to his Tallinding speech was characterized as an "irresponsible and extremely dangerous" statement coming from a head of state.  The U.N. condemnation continued to say that "such public statements...by a national leader...can contribute to dividing populations, feed suspicion and serve to incite violence against communities, based solely on their identity."

Yaya Jammeh poses a threat not only to the safety and security of Gambia and Gambians but he is a threat to the regional and sub-regional peace and security.  

Jammeh has failed Gambia and Gambians by overseeing a declining economy in his 22-year dictatorship while eroding our civil liberties and freedoms in the process.  His human right record competes that of North Korea with more Gambians fleeing the country's shores because of the repressive nature of a dictatorship that is among the worst in the world.

Because Jammeh has failed in every aspect of governance with nothing to offer to Gambians who are poorer today than when he seized power illegally 22 years ago, he's left with no option but to divert people's attention away from their Jammeh-induced misery by issuing threats to a section of the population with the hope that the other ethic groups will turn against Mandinkas.  What Jammeh fail to realize is that true Gambians will not turn against each other.

The responsibility is now up to the National Assembly to commence the process of impeaching Yaya Jammeh for incitement of violence of one ethic group against another which could lead to genocide.  

Increasing anger over Jammeh incitement of violence

Yaya Jammeh at the United Nations 

Yaya Jammeh is no stranger to putting his foot in his mouth but his June 6th Tallinding political rally speech when he was inciting his supporters to rise up against the Mandinka ethnic group whom he threatened to "kill one by one" and referring to them as "enemies, "foreigners" is attracting attention and generating reactions from many quarters that have shaken his confidence on clinging on to power.

The Special Adviser of the United Nations Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide has called the speech "irresponsible" who was "profoundly alarmed by...Jammeh's public stigmatization, dehumanization and threats against the Mandinkas."

An editorial in a Rwandan newspaper, in turn, cautioned Jammeh that when he calls Mankika names like "enemies and foreigners" in their own land, "he is paving the way for impunity and the world should worry."  The paper recalled the devastating effects Leon Mugesera's inflammatory anti-Tutsi speech he delivered in 1992 that is regarded as a precursor to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Reactions from the Diaspora Gambia communities across the globe has been equally vehement, furious and pointedly critical of the Gambian dictator.  Locally, the protesters continue to defy Jammeh and his threats of killing demonstrators.  In fact, he has instructed his security agents to keep a distance from the demonstrators to avoid confrontation from an emboldened opposition protesters.

Jammeh recognizes the tension his vitriolic and irresponsible rhetoric has created.  His intent is to send a delegation, made up of his cronies and sycophantic supporters, across the country to claim the fears and anger of the Mandinkas.  He is worried that his incitement speech will help derail the presidential elections that are already precariously hanging on a thread for several reasons.

What Janneh fail to realize is that the ground has shifted drastically from under his feet.  His incitement speech against the largest ethnic group in the country is certainly not going to help him cling unto power beyond his current term of office.  It is time for him to come to grips with the reality that a new dawn in Gambian politics that rejects dictatorships.  Gambians are ready to turn a new page without Yaya Jammeh.  #JammehMustGo  

Rwandan newspaper asks Mandinkas be protected

Jammeh with guards 

As the world starts to come to grips with Yaya Jammeh's recent speech at a political rally that he vowed to kill Mandinkas "one by one" who oppose his regime and put them away where "even a fly cannot find them", more voices are being added to a chorus of condemnations of what is being described as "irresponsible and extremely dangerous" rhetoric.

Rwanda, where one of the worst genocide took place, has added its voice to Adama Dieng, United Nations Secretary General's Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide who denounced Jammeh's callous and incendiary remarks againts the Mandinka ethic group.

In an editorial entitled "Rwanda: The Mandinka of The Gambia must be protected", the The New Times said that after what happened in Rwanda, one would have thought the world and more specifically the Gambian leader had drawn lessons from it.   In lamenting about the fact that "the ghost of ethnic hatred" still lingers on the African continent, the paper said the most worrying in the Gambian case is that "the head of state making threatening remarks against a section of his population."

Incitement of violence against an ethnic group, especially coming from a head of state must be taken serious and according to the editorial, "Adama Dieng, United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide was quick to sound the alarm" which he must be commended.  Unlike some of Yaya Jammeh's apologists and sycophants who continue to burry their collective heads in the sand, he editorial "Dieng knows what he is talking about when it comes to matter of ethnic cleansing and incitement of genocide by people in authority and who wield enormous powers of persuasion."

For those who continue to be in denial that Jammeh is dangerous and a threat to regional peace and stability by continually degrading those who criticize their Great Leader Jammeh like Adama Dieng did recently, the Special Adviser is anything but "a puppet on the service of Gambia's enemies" as he was recently described by a renegade Gambian diplomat.

Adama Dieng spent over ten years as head of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and "saw first-hand the effects of genocide and the role of leaders in fanning it."  To question Mr. Dieng's motives - as Jammeh's sycophants have attempted - for condemning an irresponsible behavior of incitement of violence by one section of the population against another by the Gambian dictator is a mark of desperation od supporters of a dying regime.

We join The New Times of Rwanda in demanding that the world not just stop at "mere condemnations" but to "flex its muscles and take decisive measures" against a tyrant who is threatening not only The Gambia but the sub-region as well.            

ICC's Bensouda must join the UN Genocide Adviser in condemning Yaya Jammeh

Fatou Bensouda , ICC Chief Prosecutor  

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, had excused herself in the past for not proactively pursuing the deplorable human rights abuses in her native Gambia because her mandate is limited to three types of crimes : genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. And, in short, none of these apply to The Gambia.

We are OK with her explanation up to this point regarding her silence, however atrocious and brutal Jammeh's human rights abuses have been and continue to be.  We appreciate the fact that the legal threshold for any of these categories of crimes under the Rome Statutes is very high and for a reason.

However, after Yaya Jammeh uttered those incendiary statements against the Mandinka ethnic group at a political rally in the outskirts of the capital of Banjul, referring to them as "enemies and foreigners" and threatening to kill them one by one and "put them and out them "where even a fly cannot see them", Adama Dieng, the Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide condemned the Gambian dictator in unequivocal and unambiguous language.

He said he was "profoundly alarmed at...Jammeh's public stigmatization, dehumanization and threats against the Mandinkas.  Public statement by a national leader are irresponsible and extremely dangerous.  They can contribute to dividing populations, feed suspicion and serve to incite violence against communities, based solely on their identity."

Mr. Dieng reminded Jammeh, if a reminder was necessary, of how incitement preceded the carnage in Rwanda and Bosnia.  Ironically, Ousainou Darboe, the leader of the biggest opposition party is currently in court charged with inciting violence, among other charges, for simply exercise his constitutional right to protest against a youth leader and member of his political party.

Madam Chief Prosecutor, you cannot stay silent anymore.   Join your UN colleague by adding the voice of the International Criminal Court to the list of those condemning Yaya Jammeh for inciting violence against the Mandinka ethic group that can lead to genocide.  Jammeh has embarked on a dangerous path that must be stopped.  He must be told so and warned to refrain from making further irresponsible statements that incite violence against a group of Gambians who happen to belong to a different ethnic group.
 

Jammeh incendiary denunciation of the Mandinkas ethic group condemned by the United Nations

Adama Dieng, United Nations Special Adviser to the Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide condemned Jammeh's recent speech directed at the Mandinka ethnic group which the UN characterized as "inflammatory".  

The speech was delivered at a Tallingding rally on the 3rd of June in which he reportedly threaten to eliminate the Mandinka ethnic group.  Jammeh alleged referred to Mandinkas as "enemies and foreigners" and threaten to kill them one by one and to put them "where even a fly cannot see them."

In a statement issued by the UN Special Adviser he said and we quote "I am profoundly alarmed by President Jammeh's public stigmatization, dehumanization and threats against the Mandinkas. Public statement by a national leader are irresponsible and extremely dangerous.  They can contribute to dividing populations, feed suspicion and serve to incite violence against communities, based solely on their identity."   

"We have seen" the statement continued ", in Rwanda, Busnia - and more recently in the Middle East - how incitement to violence has led to mass killings along identity lines."

The UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide reminded the Gambia dictator that his vitriolic rhetoric against Mandinkas constitutes a hate speech that that falls in the category of advocacy for national, racial or religious hatred that incites discrimination, hostility or violence which contravenes international human rights law as well as local laws.

The Gambian dictator who is currently putting Mr. Ousainou Darboe, leader of the main opposition party, on trial for "incitement of violence and riot" among other ridiculous charges for simply peacefully demonstrating against injustice and impunity, was reminded by the United Nations that [S]tates have the primary responsibility to protect their populations from genocide, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and their incitement.  Finally, Jammeh was urged to "...ensure that the rights of all populations of The Gambia are respected, irrespective of ethnicity or political affiliation."

We hope Yaya Jammeh takes heed.

Lawyer Antouman Gaye exposes a corrupt and dysfunctional judiciary

Senior legal defense team leader - Antouman Gaye 

When the senior and lead defense lawyer in the Ousainou Darboe and co case decided, as the old policeman he is, to march his entire defense team out of the courtroom of the Nigerian mercenary judge E. O. Dada, the move threatened to expose how rigged, convoluted and rotten the judiciary has become under the dictatorship of Yaya Jammeh.

The dramatic walk-out was triggered by armed soldiers and prison wardens who were insisting on being resent while the defense team is consulting with its clients which proved to be the final straw.

Prior to the incident, E. O. Dada displayed a brazenly sulky and unprofessional behavior towards the defense team, all of whom are senior members of the Gambian Bar with decades of standing.  Despicable behavior aside, E. O .Dada persistently denied the defense several routine motions, culminating in her refusal to stay the proceedings until such time that the Supreme Court rule on a constitutional issue relevant to the case.   Her behavior did not come as a surprise because, like the rest of the Nigerian mercenary contingent that has infested the judiciary, she takes her orders from the Gambian dictator through another Nigerian mercenary named S. K. Barkum who doubles as prosecutor and the Gambian Minister of Justice in the name of Mama Fatima Singhateh.

E. O. Dada's instructions were to proceed with the case even when the defendants are left without legal defense.  And as the UDP briefs regarding the case suggest,  Jammeh is determine to railroad Darboe, his entire party executive and supporters "through a corrupt and subverted judicial process." Jammeh intends to neutralize the opposition before the presidential elections, even if it means using insidious methods, regardless of how blatantly crude the methods might appear to be.

Jammeh's decision to chose Ousainou Darboe to set an example in the run up to the scheduled presidential elections next December may prove to be a poor and risky choice.  He heads the single largest opposition party and the second or third most senior active member of the Gambian Bar.  He has over four decades of courtroom experience and that experience is already beginning to show as he exposes Dada's lack of judicial experience.

In the absence of legal representation, the defendants will remain silent.  In the words of Ousainou Darboe, he is not going to help the regime convict him.  Yaya Jammeh will have to do it all by himself with the aid of his team of "mercenary judges, unethical prosecutors, lying and conniving security personnel" while the international community has its eyes firmly fixed on The Gambia.  We are not an isolated speck or a slither of a country on the West African coast anymore.