Following is the Fact Sheet developed by The Movement
For The Restoration Of Democracy In The Gambia which
we are using as we prepare for the New York
Demonstration before the Gambian Mission and the
United Nations on May 2, 2000.  We welcome all fellow
Gambia-L's to utilize this Fact Sheet in our concerted
campaign to stop the atrocities taking place in The
Gambia.  This document (word document) has also been
attached to this e-mail for those members wishing to
download and print out for easy distribution.
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FACT SHEET                           FACT SHEET

MOVEMENT FOR THE RESTORATION
OF DEMOCRACY IN THE GAMBIA
1920 Walton Avenue, Suite 5B
Bronx, New York  10453
Tel/Fax:  (718) 842-6162

THE MOVEMENT FOR THE RESTORATION FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE
GAMBIA sorrowfully announces the murder of Gambian
Students by The Gambian Army and Paramilitary on 10
and 11 April 2000 in violation of International Human
Rights and Constitutional Rights.  Gambian students
have an inalienable and entrenched right under the
1997 Constitution, Section 25(d) to "freedom to
assemble and demonstrate peaceably and without arms."
These rights are echoed and guaranteed under the
African Charter and under the United Nations'
International Convention on Civil and Political
Rights.

¨ The student demonstration was organized by the
Gambian Students Union (GAMSU) in Banjul, Brikama and
other towns to protest the torture and death of
19-year-old student, Ebrima Barry on 9 March by
Brikama Fire Service personnel, and the rape of
13-year-old Binta Manneh by a police officer, on 10
March 2000.

¨ GAMSU requested a permit for the intended peaceful
demonstration, which was denied, yet the Department of
State for the Interior issued a press release
"threatening any student who dared to disturb the
peace."

¨ When students assembled in front of the Gambian
Technical Training Institute on April 10th to march to
the city center, Paramilitary Units menacingly ordered
the students to disperse, then proceeded to chase,
kick and stomp on the heads of falling students and
then finally shooting indiscriminately into the crowd.

¨ President Yahya Jammeh administration's directive to
utilize live ammunition to quell the student
demonstration resulted in the slaughter of a minimum
of 14 people (reports indicate that as many as 50
persons have been murdered).  Omar Barrow, a
journalist at SUD FM Radio, Banjul, was murdered by
paramilitary personnel while serving as a readily
identifiable Red Cross volunteer assisting the wounded
and dying.

¨ A minimum of 128 students and other persons have
been injured, many requiring hospitalization.  Due to
poor medical facilities, many of the injured require
life saving medical treatment outside of the country.
Royal Victoria Hospital has indicated that there is a
shortage of blood and that the situation is
disastrous.  Among the wounded is a 3-year old child
lying in the hospital with a bullet in his head.
Doctors in the Gambia do not have the necessary
facilities to perform the required life saving
operation for him.

¨ Numerous students are missing, including Alhaji
Darbo, Vice President of GAMSU and Alieu Khan,
President of the College Students Sub-Union.  Hundreds
of students continue to be rounded up for questioning,
arrested and detained at undisclosed locations
throughout The Gambia.  Distraught parents do not know
whether their children are among the dead or detained.

¨ Reports have been received that the government is
refusing to turn over the bodies of murdered students
to their families.  In addition, the government has
not made available to the public, identification of
all individuals presently being detained, nor account
for missing persons.

THE MOVEMENT FOR THE RESTORATION FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE
GAMBIA consisting of Gambians, Africans (Continental
and Diaspora), and Concerned Friends of The Gambia
request your support in petitioning for an immediate
investigation into the atrocities and human rights
violations that continue to plague The Gambia.



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