Following April 10 Shot In The Head, Kid Dies Of Bullet Wound
The Independent (Banjul)
June 9, 2000
By Alhagie Mbye
Banjul - The death has been announced of three-year-old nursery school pupil Musa Sembene, who had been admitted at a Dakar hospital after a live bullet was removed from his head. Musa's head wound was allegedly caused by a shot from an unidentified soldier during the 10th April student demonstrations.
Musa, commonly known as 'father' was reported dead Monday evening after almost two months of emergency medical attention, which left his family expecting the worst.
Prior to reports of his death, Musa was said to be receiving treatment at the Abass Ndow Hospital in Dakar, Senegal where he was taken by his father a few days after a bullet was lodged in his head.
Ousmane Sembene, the boy's father, had told The Independent in an earlier interview that Musa was shot in the head at around 1 p.m. on 10th April, whilst he (Musa) was inside his compound in Serrekunda, London Corner during the heat of the unrest. He explained that Musa had collapsed on the spot and passed out. Mr. Sembene, who was looking forlorn and worried as he recounted the incident, said doctors at the RVH confirmed that Musa was shot with live ammunition and needed to be admitted. He added that after three days, Musa was still in a coma. The doctor there had advised him to seek better treatment abroad, since the Gambian hospital did not have the required equipment to extract the bullet lodged in Musa's head. Since Dakar was thought to be the nearest country where equipment for a successful operation on Musa was available, the three year-old boy was flown to Senegal and admitted at the Abass Ndow hospital where the bullet was removed. According to a medical report, the l!
ive bullet extracted from the kid's head was 26.13 mm long, 7.14 mm thick, and weighed 7.91mm grams. The Senegalese doctors had also advised Mr. Sembene to leave his son in hospital for a few days in order to give them time to find out whether any other damage had occurred.
Musa's case was a front-page headline in many Senegalese newspapers including Pop Daily newspaper's 22nd April publication. Walfadjri, a private newspaper and radio station also reported on Musa's situation, condemning what it called the 'brutal' act on him. A number of Senegalese had also bitterly denounced the security forces over their handling of the student unrest.
Musa's father who had tried to report his son's case at the coroner's inquest, was told that the inquest was confined to hearing evidence on matters relating only to those who died and not those who suffered injuries.
Back home, residents in Serrekunda London Corner expressed dismay over the shooting of the three-year-old nursery school boy describing it as a 'deliberate and heartless attack.' Residents who spoke to this reporter, Tuesday morning, said that they were upset to learn of Musa's death and reiterated their criticism of the security forces whom they blamed for the student killings.
Njaga Sowe said that 'if soldiers employed to protect civilians can deliberately murder them with impunity, then nobody should be proud of being a Gambian.' He described the Sembene family as 'peace loving, industrious and respectful and did not deserve such a tragedy.' He added that comments made by some government officials and secretaries of state during the commission of inquiry made him more disappointed.
Haddy Faal who said she was totally devastated by the death, commended the coalition of lawyers defending the students, urging them to 'keep up the fight' for justice. 'This is a battle that we should all be involved in to see that justice is done,' she emphasised. She said Musa was lovely and nice.
Bereaved father Ousmane Sembene told this reporter that he would never testify in any commission since he remained convinced that 'justice will not be done.' 'I leave everything in the hands of God,' he desperately noted.
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culled from the Independent.
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