PHOTO:Malick Jatta. (Photo Credit TRRC)

By Ousman A. Marong

Malick Jatta, a member of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) who doubles as a one-time ‘Jungular’ under the AFPRC/APRC government has told the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) that the late Tumbul Tamba was the master minder behind the setting up of the jungulars.

According to him, Ndong Mboob was executed by Major Sanna Manjang in a forest called ‘Bunubor garden’ in Kanilai. The garden, he said belongs to the former head of State Yahya Jammeh.

“Tumbul Tamba came with Mercedes Benz 204 and we boarded it and drove to Kanilai to carry on the execution,” he explained. He mentioned names such as himself Malick Jatta, the late Tumbul Tamba, Alieu Jeng, and Sanna Manjang as persons who took part in the execution.

He made this revelation at the Dunes Hotel in Kololi while testifying before the commission.

“After carrying on the execution, the following day Tumbul Tamba gave us some dollars amounting to fifty thousand dalasi (50,000) on an envelope, saying it was a token from the president in appreciation to our job,” the witness revealed.

“I am totally displeased with my own action. It was my responsibility to protect lives and properties, instead I ended up terrorizing those I supposed to protect,” he cried.
The jungular in his own words informed the commission that they (the jungulars) killed the late Deyda Hyara on the order of former President Yahya Jammeh.

“Get him killed without any delay,” he alleged they were instructed by former president Jammeh. He said he was shocked after hearing former president Jammeh denying having knowledge about Deyda’s death.

“I was shocked simply because the guy on whose order we have killed the journalist is here denying to have knowledge about the incident.
He revealed that the following day after they short the late Deyda Hydara to death, he demanded meeting Major Kalipha Bajinka, but was told by Bajinka he (Malick Jatta) won’t be able to meet him.

How many shots did you fire? Ask lead Counsel Essa M. Faal. The witness responded, “I shot only once.”
How many did your colleagues shot? He replied in the affirmative “I can only tell about mine,” he responded again.
Hearings continues tomorrow.

MUSA SAIDYKAN TELLS WOES OF BROKEN HAND, ELECTROCUTION BY NIA

PHOTO: Journalist Musa Saidykhan's Back. (Photo Credit Online).

By Ousman A. Marong

Musa Saidykhan, former editor-in-chief of The Independent newspaper has said that he was stripped naked at the headquarters of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) where his hands were broken three (3) times and his genitals electrocuted.

He said they stamped their feet on his hand until it was broken, adding that the electrocution of his genitals sent him to a comma.

Testifying before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) via Skype, one time Daily Observer reporter explained that his hand had to be broken three (3) again in order to fix it properly.

He disclosed that he was arrested together with Madi M.K. Ceesay and were put behind a pickup and transported to the NIA headquarters in Banjul.

He stated that while at the NIA, he met two (2) Ghanaian boys who were illegally detained there without been brought before any court of law.

He explained how he started taking account of the story which nearly filled a notebook, saying that the NIA mounted a search and later found the book with him and seized it.

He stressed that the NIA was very upset with him after they found the notebook.

He revealed that the NIA tried, by all means, to implicate him to the point of sending young beautiful girls to seduce him, but to no avail.

Recalling his time at Daily Observer, he told the TRRC that they (the reporters) of the paper resigned as staff due to former President Yahya Jammeh’s interference with the paper’s editorial board.

He said Jammeh was never pleased with seeing his photo lingering on top of The Daily Observer facing that of opposition leaders like Lamin Waa Juwara.

He further said Jammeh preferred seeing his photo alone on top of Daily Observer lead stories.

He recounted his previous arrest by a team of four (4) operatives from the NIA where he was whisked away and escorted to their headquarters.

Musa said upon arrival at the NIA he was interrogated by a panel who asked about his origin and after a short interrogation he went scot-free.

He said after his short released, he was informed that it was because of pressure from West African leaders who wrote a petition to the South African president, Tabo Mbeki to convey to ex-president Jammeh to release him failing which will lead to the boycott of the AU Submit to be held in The Gambia.

Omar Barrow Was Shot To Death By The Security Officers – Pa Modou Faal Tells TRRC

PHOTO: Pa Modou (Photo Credit TRRC)

By Ousman A. Marong

The Gambia Daily News reporter Pa Modou Faal has told the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) that the late journalist Omar Barrow was shot to death by the security officers of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF).
According to him, he saw the late Omar Barrow lying at the mortuary at the then Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH), now Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul.
“I saw the dead body of late Omar Barrow on a blue shirt lying down at the mortuary of the RVTH,” said Mr. Faal.
He made this revelation at the Dunes Hotel in Kololi where he was testifying before the commission.

“I was informed by a colleague that the late Omar Barrow was shot to death by members of The Gambia Armed Forces during the April 10-11 students’ demonstration,” he further explained.
He revealed that the Sud FM reporter Ousman Ceesay was manhandled by the security officers while covering the April 10-11 students’ demonstration too.
“The security officers confiscated Ousman Ceesay’s tape recorder while he was covering the demonstration,” he stated.
He informed the commission that ‘plainclothes officers’ once appeared at the studio of Radio Sud FM demanding for the closure of the Radio. “There was a reason given to us to why the radio should be closed down,” he disclosed.
He alleged that former Information Minister Neneh Macduoll Gaye had a hand in the closure of Sud FM radio. He opined that The Gambia and Senegal border crisis also contributed to the closure of the radio.
Narrating his ordeal with the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) officers in 2009 when he and some other executive members of the Gambia Press Union were arrested, Mr. Faal said a former NIA officer called Alhagie Morr Jobe phoned him and informed him that he is wanted at the NIA for questioning and he reported himself to the NIA.

“While at the NIA, I was interrogated about a press release of the GPU against the former president Yahya Jammeh, which was published by The Point and Foroyaa newspapers. I was also forced to log into my email account upon arrival at the NIA,” he outlined. He further informed the Commission that all of them (the arrested journalists) especially Mr. Pape Saine, Managing Director of The Point Newspaper was totally paranoid while in detention, as they had always thought the hit-squad (Jungulars) will come to torture them.
Mr. Faal also described the country’s central prison Mile II, where they were remanded during their trial, as a horrible place and not fit for human beings to stay.
“We have spent 27 days in prison, and we were pardoned when the former Nigerian president at the time visited the country.

We are Going to Operate within the Confinements of the Law – Says the police PRO

PHOTO: Group of Security officers Trained on (CCM)

By Ousman A. Marong

The police PRO ASP Lamin Njie Friday told waiting journalists that The Gambia Police Force (GPF) is going to operate within the confinements of the law.

According to him, The Gambia Police Force (GPF) did not order equipment’s to target or harassed any particular groups or individuals, he stated.

“We are doing our job and that is to enforce laws, and we are going to operate within those confinements,” he remarked.

He made this revelation on Friday 21st June 2019 during the graduation ceremony of 40 Personnel from the Police Intervention Unit (PIU). The 40 officers include platoon and section commanders who were trained by the French National Police (FNP).

The 40 officers concluded a two (2) weeks long training exercise on crowd control management (CCM), as part of the country’s ‘Security Sector Reform’ (SSR).

“In spite of what the honorable Minister said, I want to assure the general public that The Gambia Police Force (GPF) is going to operate within the confines of the law,” he confirmed. He added that The Gambia Police Force (GPF) will make sure they protect lives and properties,” he said.

“As far as our types of equipment are a concern, we are going to handle them professionally. Our mandate is to protect lives and properties and we would make sure we do just that,” he asserted.

In his part the French Ambassador the Gambia Mr. Christophe Bigot revealed that his government will do all it takes to support the government of The Gambia in the areas of security management. He disclosed that the French government had provided The Gambia government with a tone of £50 loan during their meeting in Brussels.

Part of the £50m loan he said would be used to build French school, military training schools, teacher’s training school, naval training, school etc, he noted.

Six Cooperative Groups Supported by Nema-Chosso Generates D11M

By Ousman A. Marong

Six cooperative group from Boiram, Kudang, Bajarally Suba Juruku Salikene, and Pakalinding over the weekend generated an amount of money worth over eleven million dalasis (D11, 000,000.00).

This initiative came through the support from Nema-Chosso.

According to Mr. Momodou L. Gassama Projector Director said, over the last two (2) years the six cooperative bodies have generated a savings of over eleven million dalasis (D11, 000, 000. 00) from the purchase of sale fertilizer alone, he confirmed.

“The project provides support to organizational management, initial seed-funding as well as linkages conniving The Gambia Groundnut Cooperation (GGC) and the National Seeds Secretariat (NCS) to promote access to fertilizer and improved seeds for rice production,” he stated.

He made this disclosure in an exclusive interview with our reporter in his Abuko office. Mr. Gassama further gave updates on some of the project’s success with special focus to support cooperatives and linkages between producers, economic operators and other actors of value chain. “These initiatives have been ongoing since the start of the project implementation in 2012,” he asserted.

According to him, the six cooperatives groups were created in the cluster areas of, Boiram and Kudang in Central River Region South (CRR South), Bajarally Suba in Central River Region North (CRR North), Jurunku and Salikene in North Bank Region (NBR) and Pakalinding in Lower River Region (LRR).

According to him the Nema project was financed by the government of the Gambia through funds from International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a Rome based UN Agency which focuses on poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.

He disclosed that the project had made numerous impacts on the lives of The Gambian youths and women respectively since its official launching in 2012, he said.

 He noted that the project has supported the formation of six agricultural cooperatives to serve the interests of their members along rice value chains across the country.

“With this initial support of the project”, noted Mr. Gassama, “the 6 cooperatives are now playing the role of economic operators, facilitating access to fertilizer for their members through bulk-buying from the Gambia Groundnut Cooperation (GGC). With the revenues generated and the trust they have built with (GGC) over the years, the cooperatives are now able to secure fertilizer for their members without direct project support, thereby laying the fundamental foundation for sustainability after the phasing-out of the project.”

Mr. Bakary Jammeh the cooperative project focal person outlined the projects support in providing them with the construction of nineteen (19) seeds and grains storage facilities across the six (6) cooperatives. He said this will enable farmers to effectively store their harvest products, noted.

PHOTO: Mr. Gassama. {Photo credit Edrissa Njie}

PHOTO: Members of the security sector reform.

By Ousman A. Marong

The government of The Gambia in collaboration with the Economic Community of West Africa States supported by the European Union National Development Program Africa Union and other partners today launched the National Security Sector Reform (SSR).

The event was funded by the EU support to Ecowas peace security, security and stability mandate project.

Following a horrific 22-years authoritative rule under ex-president Yahya Jammeh, which led to the disintegration of the security sector, The Gambia on Mond

ay 17^th June 2019 embarked on its first Security sector reform (SSR).

The event was held in “Sindola” Kanilia the birth place of ex-president Yahya Jammeh.

Delivering a keynote speech on security sector reform (SSR) Mr. Mai Ahmed Fatty special adviser to the president challenged the drafted to come up with a robust and comprehensive report at the end of the validation. He reaffirms government’s commitment in ensuring a fruitful security sector reform. “It is obligatory to government in providing protection and safety to its citizenry’s,” he remarks.

He demonstrated that the greater obligation on government is to protect its citizens, he noted. He highlighted that Security threats and public safety not to be problems facing to The Gambia alone,” he confirmed. He stated countries such as Burkina-Faso, Mali, Ghana, etc. to be faced with similar threats.

In his part Modou Badjie National security adviser to the president said government has put a lot of preparation in providing enabling environment with all-inclusiveness in order to see a free, fair, national security sector reform in the country.

“The draft document will help to identify malfunctions and loopholes in the security service,” he asserted. He emphasized that a good draft on security sector reform will give a good formulation and standardizes a good security sector for all.

Mr. Gen Tijani Golau special representative from Economic Community of West Africa State (Ecowas)revealed that the drafting must not only focus on the technical process alone.

“The drafting must be implemented by a forum of political dynamic with relevant stakeholder’s participation,” he said. He outlined the comprehensive sector report will help in the transformation of the country’s security. He added this will help the security service to be more oriented, more accountable, more responsive, etc. He concluded that this will enable the security apparatus to work accordance with the Ecowas and international standard.

Family of the late Ababacarr Camara renewed call for government to prosecute alleged murderers

PHOTO: Adama Drammeh(Decease wife)

By Ousman A. Marong

The Family of the late Ababacarr  Camara at Old Yundum  in Kombo North District West Coast Region (WCR) have renewed call on authorities to properly investigate the way and manner in which their father, brother, uncle, etc was murdered by group of people in Old Yundum.

It could be recall in May 9th, 2019 that Ababacarr Camara was alleged of stealing fuel in one of the local car park situated along the Coastal Road Brusubi main Highway where he (Abubacarr Camara) was caught and beating to death by mobsters.
According to Mr. Camara’s nephew who spoke to this medium on condition of anonymity “We are not the least happy with the high command from The Gambia Police Force (GPF) at all”, he remarks. He added since his uncle was butchered to death by the mobsters authorities at The Gambia Police Force (GPF) are still doing nothing to bring the culprits to book, his quires.

He questioned why is it taking the police that long for not taking culprits before any competent court of law in the country? He said it is nearly a month now since his uncle was murdered by mobsters and still the police haven't escort the culprit to court, he cries.
"What are they (the police) trying to hide, why is it taking them this long not take the wrongdoers to court."?

On his part the police PRO Superintendent Lamin Njie said “the police are doing all they could to facilitate court documents of the culprits. He promised the culprits will soon be appearing in court.