Omar Joof Breaks Long Silence : "I Will Never Return to Live With APRC Lies 
And Injustice"
     
    
<A HREF="http://allafrica.com/publishers.html?passed_name=The%20Independent&passed_location=Banjul">The Independent</A> (Banjul)April 11, 2003 
Posted to the web April 11, 2003 Banjul Omar Joof, the leader of the 
ill-fated students demonstration that resulted in deaths has averred that as 
long as the APRC government holds April 10 and 11 in disdain, there would be 
little or no prospect for reconciliation. He said the government is the 
greatest enemy of national compromise due to its brazen arrogance and 
contempt for students who insisted on their rights.Calling from Canada on the 
eve of the April 10 anniversary, Mr. Joof told The Independent that the 
arrogance of the government has never augured well for the political and 
economic stability of the country and could be blamed for the climate of bad 
blood engendered by the fatal confrontation between the paramilitaries and 
demonstrating students during the student demonstration.  
"I conscientiously opted for exile because I do not want to return to lies 
and injustice. I blame the APRC government for the massacre," he charged, 
adding that the authorities had hastily prepared the Indemnity Act not only 
to exonerate the perpetrators of the killings but also to "prevent the ugly 
revelations from the officers that would have incriminated The Gambia 
government".Mr. Joof, who benefits from a scholarship to school in Canada, 
insisted that Gamsu's leadership of 2000 were on a selfless struggle to see 
justice done after two of their colleagues were diabolically abused by 
security officers. "Our actions were directed by clear-cult principles and we 
were in no doubt about the justification of our actions. We have no doubt 
that what we did on April 10 2000 was the right thing to do especially after 
painstakingly sticking to dialogue with the authorities who meted out to us 
horrendous brutality. Therefore I have never found it necessary to apologise 
for the actions we took" he posited, urging the current generation of Gambian 
students to rededicate themselves to the struggle for justice generally in 
The Gambia and particularly for their lot. He said all legal measures should 
be exhausted in their quest for empowerment. "Never expect any selfish 
politician to empower you" he emphasised in words directly for Gambian 
students, before adding that they are their best protectors. "If April 10 has 
taught us anything, it is that arrogance and holding a section of the society 
in contempt would always fan the flame on hatred and the government is guilty 
of this".While he profusely extended his condolence to the parents of those 
who perished in the April 10 incident the former Gamsu leader also sought to 
exonerate his leadership from blame for what happened. "We never erred as a 
student leadership in the execution of our duties" he pointed out, 
re-apportioning blame squarely at the feet of the Gambian authorities whom he 
accused of not taking their responsibility seriously as public servants to 
deal with the students without recourse to gun-violence. He said in the 
run-up to the incident, Gamsu had maintained an open line of contact with the 
authorities with a view to addressing student grievances after which a street 
protest would have been unnecessary."Throughout this period, and up to Sunday 
April 9, we initiated the contacts and dialogue to ensure that our common 
interest as Gambians are safeguarded. But the authorities did not only 
abysmally fail to respond to us in like manner but took it upon themselves to 
talk and act tough against us thereby destroying all the chances for reaching 
a peaceful compromise" he added.Omar Joof who is a founder member of the 
National Democratic Action Movement (NDAM) tried to debunk the government's 
assertion that he was like any other student who could return and enjoy a 
free life without the fear of being held to account for the tragedy. "I was 
the leader of Gamsu and I was one of those who spearheaded what we intended 
as a peaceful and orderly demonstration. If ever the government is going to 
make an overture for me to return to The Gambia, such an overture has to be 
formal" he emphasised. "I know about the evil intent of those wielding power 
today in The Gambia. I know what they are capable of doing so I will not 
respond to any informal request" he said."Of course I love The Gambia. I miss 
my family and friends. There is no place better for me than The Gambia, but I 
cannot bear to live under the rotten system ruined by the APRC government" he 
claimed.



"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are 
evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."
 - Albert Einstein
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change 
the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead 
"When the government fears the people, you have liberty. When the people fear 
the government, you have tyranny." 
- Thomas Jefferson
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" 
- Edmund Burke 

    
    

    

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