The URD incident - a question of morality
The Independent <http://www.qanet.gm/Independent/independent.html>  (Banjul)
June 26, 2000
by D.A Jawo
Banjul - Wonders really never cease in this country, particularly when it comes
to dealing with members of the opposition. It is therefore not only an irony but
it appears to impinge on morality for the police to have detained the UDP leader
Ousainou Darboe and about 80 UDP members when they were said to have actually
requested for police protection after they were allegedly ambushed by APRC
supporters during their tour of the Upper River Division. This is indeed not
only unusual but very interesting.
At least, it would have been expected that for the sake of morality, when the
UDP asked for protection from the police, they should have been given that
protection instead of being given the false hope that they were being offered
protective custody only to be detained under such harsh conditions for about
four days. While President Jammeh is going around giving the entire world the
impression that he is a peace maker, it is quite unfortunate that people acting
in the name of his regime can be seen to do things that could compromise the
peace and security of this country, apparently just to score political points
against the opposition. The police and all those responsible authorities in the
URD need to thoroughly investigate the circumstances that led to the clash
between the APRC supporters and the UDP tour party before apparently shifting
the entire blame onto the UDP people.
If it is indeed true that the UDP, prior to the commencement of their tour
warned the police about a possible attempt by the APRC militants to disrupt
their tour and yet the police failed to do anything to prevent it, then it would
be quite wrong for the police to turn around and treat the UDP members as
trouble makers and criminals. At least if not for anything else, it is the duty
of the police to provide security to everyone in this country regardless of
political affiliation or other social consideration. It is therefore very hard
to understand why the police would not normally provide the UDP with security
cover while they are travelling in the countryside, just as they do for the
APRC.
It appears that we are beginning to see the emergence of our own version of the
Zimbabwe War Veterans, with the power to harass and intimidate opposition
supporters, apparently with both the overt and covert support from members of
the regime and its agents. There are allegations for instance that the vehicles
used by the APRC supporters when they allegedly ambushed the UDP tour party were
provided and fuelled by the Basse Area Council and the URD commissioners office.

Therefore, I hope the police would not deliberately ignore all those significant
details when investigating the case. Unless the police and the authorities are
seen to take the most appropriate and impartial action on the matter, then the
very credibility of the regime as well as whatever name President Jammeh may
have already earned himself as a sub-regional peace maker would have been thrown
to the dogs. It may also send the wrong signals to the APRC supporters that they
have the power and licence to do anything and behave anyhow they like and
nothing would come out of it.
Many people are no doubt surprised by the speed and velocity that the police
have taken to identify and charge the suspects in this particular case. The
public is also still waiting for the police to come up with the slightest clue
as to what caused the mysterious death of a former finance minister Ousman Koro
Ceesay exactly five years ago this month. There is also the alleged torture of
some UDP militants at the headquarters of the NIA in June 1997 for which no one
has ever been apprehended, even though the victims said they can identify the
perpetrators of that heinous crime. There are several other unsolved cases of
similar magnitude for which no action appears to be taken, apparently because
the victims happen to be members of the opposition.

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