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FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Gambia: Jamburians Narrate Their Ordeal

Fabakary B. Ceesay

10 February 2009

The people of Jambur in the Kombo South District were on Wednesday
28th January shaken by the appearance of so-called witch doctors that
invaded their village with the support of people posing as the officer
and men of The Gambia Armed Forces.

They took with them 60 persons on the allegation that they are
possessing the spells of witch craft.

According to Imam Arfang Karamo Bojang he was at his house shortly
after the 2:00 pm prayer, when a messenger from Alkalo Kebba Juju
Bojang told him to attend a meeting with some guests from President
Jammeh. Imam Bojang indicated that as an elderly person and due to his
old age, he asked his son Bubacarr Bojang to represent him at the said
meeting.

Bubacarr explained that when he arrived at the village "Bantaba," (an
open place where villages meet to discuss issues) he saw four men
dressed like as magicians and a handful of men in military uniform led
by a man named, Lieutenant Ebrima Solo Bojang, alias "Solo Bojang," a
number of plain clothes men, believed to state security agents and
some green boys and girls who were clapping while the so-called witch
hunters were drumming and doing other activities. Bubacarr said he was
told by the Alkalo to accompany the witch doctors to the village grave
yard to do some things that would prevent the survival of

any person with evil intentions within their community. He said to his
surprise, when they arrived at the grave yard, the so-called witch
doctors dug a pit and slaughtered a red cock and he was ordered to
slaughter a red he-goat in the same pit.

He said he was also ordered to recite "Suratul Iklas" ("Kulhuwaa") 17
times while they gave him a small drum to drum it for another 17
times. He added that the witch doctors later buried the red cock and a
bottle containing a liquid in the pit but that they carried the
slaughtered red goat with them.

Bubacarr Bojang indicated that upon their return to the "Bantaba,"
Alkalo Kebba Juju Bojang told Lieutenant Solo Bojang and the witch
doctors that the villagers had refused to come out to attend to their
rituals. He alleged that the Alkalo and one Momodou Fatou Bojang led
the four witch doctors with the men in uniform, armed with guns, from
compound to compound to look for persons suspected of having
witchcraft spells.

He said that he remained seated at the village "Bantaba" to study the
situation, and while there he was not taken away.

On Wednesday 4 February, this reporter met about a hundred people who
assembled in the Imam's compound to listen to the narration of the
ordeal of their parents.

Imam Bojang said to his surprise he saw Alkalo Juju Bojang with
uniformed men and four men dressed all in red with mirrors and glasses
all over their dresses, full of charms (jujus) hanging and dangling
around them. He said they spoke to him in fula while someone was
interpreting to him in the Mandinka.

He said he was told by the witch doctors that he possessed some
knowledge of evil powers that can destroy the people of the country.
He said he was asked by the men in uniform to go with them and he was
taken to the "Bantaba" where a crowd had assembled and a bus was
waiting to ferry them. He said he was asked to board the bus which he
did without resistance.

The names of people that they could recall who were taken away are as
follows: Imam Arfang Karamo Bojang, Modou (Dodou Kah) Bojang, Dembo
Mamo Bojang, Adama Tuti Bojang (APRC Chair Woman), Naame (Aminata)
Bojang, Omar Jerreh Bojang alias "Kanyarr", Saineyba (Bucenty or
Manjago) Bojang, Sunkaru Fatty, Malang Darboe, Jarry Kunda Bojang,
Nyarra Kassama, Amie Ceesay, Adama Bojang, Manginki Cham, Sarjo
Bojang, Manyima Jatta, Hawa Camara, Fatou Sarr, Masabu Bojang, Kaddy
Jatta, Banna Jatta, Aroky Bojang, Masireh Bojang, Jamba Bojang, Mbasey
Bojang, Sainabou Sanneh, Jarra Kanyi Bojang, Joko Bojang, Kossa
Darboe, Amie Camara, Amie Banor, Dembo Manneh, Yaya Bojang, Manlafi
Manneh, Bui Koiteh, Lang Jammeh, Dembo Jariatou Bojang, Lamin Bojang,
Tijan Saidy, Lamin Touray, Kebba Saidy, Mamadi Kumba Saidy, Saikou
Camara, Adama Bah, Fangsainey Tuti Bojang and Omar Bojang, the eldest
son of the Imam. The eldest son of the Imam is the youngest among all
those taken away. He is 48 years old.

According to them, all together they were sixty men and women who were
loaded in the bus and taken to the place they call "Baba Jobe's
Compound". All these people wanted to narrate their side of the story
one by one. But they later agreed to let a few to explain what exactly
happened to them. The most outspoken ones, Bucenty Mangjako Bojang,
who claimed to have vigorously campaigned for President Jammeh and the
APRC in the past elections, said he was picked up from his house while
having lunch with his family. He said Lieutenant Solo Bojang, led by
Alkalo Kebba Juju Bojang, the four witch doctors, green boys, two men
in military uniform and few other plain clothes men came to his house
and the Alkalo ordered him to come out. He said to his surprise two
'green boys' rushed towards him and attempted to apprehend him. He
said the Alkalo told him that the witch doctors were sent to cure him
because he was sick. He said he told them that if he is sick he would
rather go to the hospital for treatment. He argued that he was
intimidated to go with them as men with guns were standing by.

Mr. Sarjo Bojang said he was sitting on the street when the Alkalo
came with men in military uniform, some 'green boys' and plain clothes
men and pointed at him to be taken away. He said they were humiliated
and dumped at the village "Bantaba" where the ritual was taking place
with few women, 'green boys and girls' and children clapping as the
drumming and rituals continued.

Demba Manneh also said he was told by those who took him away, led by
the Alkalo, that he is sick. He said he was led to the bus.

Omar Bojang also indicated that he was picked up from his house while
having lunch with his family, on the directives of the Alkalo. He said
he was humiliated and dragged to the village "Bantaba" in front of his
family.

As they were narrating their ordeal some shed tears while other just
kept on nodding in shame and humiliation.

They noted that the most humiliated part of their ordeal was at "Baba
Jobe's compound". Bucenty Bojang said they were asked to form in a
queue, undressed to their waist "like how the slavers marched Kunta
Kinteh and other captives into slavery".

They said both men and women were dumped in one room where their
particulars were taken. Sarjo Bojang said he was the first man to be
listed in a book.

They said they were then taken one by one into a toilet room where
they were washed from head to waist with slimy water. The large tomato
paste tin, half full of a concoction, which many of them referred as
"Kuubee Jaroo," or "Tali-kunango" was now given to them to drink. They
alleged that all of them immediately became unconscious and started to
say abnormal things. They indicated that they urinated on themselves
continuously until their clothes were soak. They said both men and
women were left loitering, crawling and rolling over each other on the
cold wet floor with urine all over the place. They asserted that some
of them were totally unconscious and only opened their eye balls
without uttering a world.

Imam Bojang said he refused to drink the concoction and did not bath
in it either. He said he categorically refused to succumb to the
orders given to him. He said that among the 60 people he was the only
one who was conscious throughout their two day ordeal in the hands of
the men in uniform and the witch doctors.

Imam Bojang said he saw men and women with his naked eyes collapsing
and falling on each other as they struggled to stand up. He stated
that he could not believe his eyes when he saw the old men and women
who are respected people and religious leaders of his village half
naked, saying and doing all kinds of ungodly things.

They said they were bathed in and drank the said concoction on two
occasion; on the day they were taken away, Wednesday 28 January and
the next day, Thursday 29 January.

They said throughout their ordeal a video camera man was taking shots
of the whole incident, from Jambur to the "concentration" camp.

They noted that at some points a man would come with a note book and
to interrogate those that made silly remarks and acted stupidly.

They said they were given little food on Wednesday; that in fact they
could not even eat as their throats and tongues were very sticky.

They pointed out that on Thursday evening they were put in the same
bus and taken back home amid intoxication. They said many of them
could not disembark from the bus, and had to be carried out like dead
bodies. They said there was an out cry in the village when their
kindred saw them carrying their parents like body bags arriving from
the battle field. They said their clothes were still soaked in urine.
They noted that as they started to disembark from the bus there was an
outcry in the village as relatives and loved ones rushed to the scene
to carry them home. They indicated that many stumbled as they walked
to their homes and had to be assisted.

They denied the claim of Alkalo Kebba Juju Bojang that they gave
themselves up to the witch doctors on their own free will for their
long time ailment to be cured. All of them stated that they have no
ailment that would warrant them to give themselves to the so-called
witch doctors. They asserted that many ungodly acts were performed at
the cemetery where many godly men and women were resting in their
perfect peace.

They said up to the time of the interview some of them were still
feeling the effects of the concoction on them. In particular, they
noted that some were still sick in bed and that many could not still
stand the embarrassment and humiliation meted out to them; that many
now prefer to stay indoors to avoid the public. They said some are not
performing their daily prayers at the village mosque because the
humiliation and effects of their ordeal is still traumatizing.

Another two youths, namely Buba (Faye) Bojang and Seedy Sanyang, said
they were arrested but subsequently released without condition. Faye
said he followed the witch doctors, the Alkalo, a man named Momodou
Fatou Bojang, the men in military uniform, 'green boys and girls'
every where they went to study the situation. He said someone in plain
clothes gave him two nasty slaps and hand cuffed him, he was later
released.

Seedy said he was handcuffed by two men in military uniform and taken
to where Lieutenant Solo Bojang was, but he was later released.

This reporter made efforts since on Thursday 5tth February, up to the
eleven hour of going to press to get the Public Relations Officer of
the Gambia Armed Forces, for him to explain the involvement of
military officer and men in this incident but to no avail. He was
finally got in touch with but said he was out of the jurisdiction and
was just arriving. The matter was explained to him but he asked the
reporter to get to him today.

Copyright (c) 2009 FOROYAA Newspaper. All rights reserved. Distributed
by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).

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