OPEN LETTER TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE GAMBIA
Dear Sir,
Allow me to draw your attention to the case of my husband, Mr Modou (Dumo) Sarho, who was abducted from his family compound at Sanchaba Road in Serrekunda London Corner on Saturday 24th June around 3.30 p.m. At the time Mr Sarho was sitting with some friends outside the compound when an ash-coloured BMW (Reg.No BJL3716A) drove up to his gate and he was called. He went to answer and begged to be allowed to talk to his mother which was granted after some discussion among the men in the car. When entering the house he was then escorted by one of the men in the car. This man has later, by witnesses, been identified as one Mr Alhagie Moor alias Alhagie Jobe, son of late Mr Peterson Jobe.
Mr Sarho informed his mother that he was being arrested and he was said to be taken to Banjul.
When I arrived to my home after work on Saturday, I was informed about the arrest and started by calling the Police Headquarter in Banjul. They assured me that they did not have my husband in their custody and I was advised to try the NIA. Two of my husband's brothers personally went to the Banjul Police HQ, only to receive the same negative answer. I managed to get a telephone number to NIA, but all through the evening as well as the following day no one answered that phone.
During the weekend I alerted Boka Loho - Together we can in Sweden as well as other friends and organisations abroad that I believed would be interested in knowing about the abduction.
On Monday 26th I and Mr Mustapha Sarho (brother of my husband) went to the NIA quarter at Moammar Khadaffi Road in Banjul. We were not allowed to enter or to see any commanding officer but the gate-keeper assured us that no man by the name Mr Modou Sarho was kept there. After about two hours with the same negative answer, we decided to go to the Banjul Police HQ and report my husband as missing after his abduction.
On Tuesday I alerted Amnesty International in Bakau and other local human rights organisations as well as the local press, still with the hope that my husband would appear during the day since it would then be 72 hours after his arrest, or - at least - that he would be able to contact his family. This did not occur however.
When I am writing this, more than 5 days have passed and my hope is that you will be made aware of the situation and act accordingly.
As I understand, my husband was working very closely with you during the 70's, when you were busy forming the then National Liberation Party. I know that both of you suffered political arrests during the Jawara regime, and I would have expected you, as a lawyer and with personal experience of political persecution to use your present power to safeguard human rights and make sure that the respect for the Gambian law is maintained and not violated, even by the state.
Mr Sarho spent 9 years (1985-1994) as a political refugee in Sweden, but always with his heart in The Gambia and tirelessly trying to find ways of supporting the development in his motherland. In 1991, we - some Swedes and Gambians - formed an organisation BOKA LOHO - TOGETHER WE CAN, intended to work for development in The Gambia. In 1993 a sister organisation The Boka Loho Organisation of The Gambia was formed here and registered as a local NGO. In December 1995, Mr Sarho and I came to Gambia to work as full time volunteers with this organisation.
Since then, the well being, progress and survival of this organisation has been Mr Dumo Sarho's main occupation and interest. During these years, many have approached him to engage in politics. Most of his former political comrades since the time of MOJA-G, have decided to join the ruling party, while he chose not to. He has always claimed to be a MOJA at heart and saw no reason to change that belief. He has a great personal integrity and would never betray his ideals. As a man of the people he would not dream of entering politics again without the strong support of a party. Hence he has kept himself out of the Gambian political arena.
I again appeal to you, both in your present position as The Attorney General of The Gambia and as a former political comrade of my husband, to investigate this case and act according to the laws of The Gambia.
June 29th, 2000
Annika Renberg
(Co-founder and volunteer of Boka Loho, wife of Mr Sarho)
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