Parents Of April Victims Threaten To Sue Government




The Independent (Banjul)

January 5, 2001

Alhagie Mbye
Banjul

Some parents of the victims of the 10 and 11 April student demonstrations have
bitterly condemned and rejected the report submitted by the commission of
inquiry looking into the tragedy of the incident and threatened to sue the
Gambia Government if the "report is not revisited."

The concerned parents who recently approached The Independent noted that the
report was a "provocation and needed to be revisited." They stressed that they
were totally disappointed about the matter as everyone was totally aware of what
happened on the ground and therefore the "commission's report is not accurate
and tantamounts to provocations." Rohey Sillah, a step-mother to one of the
student's killed during the demonstration who also approached The Independent in
May demanding the Coroner's report be made public, complained that the anguish
in the hearts of the parents cannot be compromised.

She outlined that she was fully prepared with other parents to sue the Gambia
Government for "failing to live up to expectation." Ms. Sillah in a sad mood,
noted that the issue of the student demonstrations and their subsequent killing
"should not be politicised." She added that "this is not the political issue.

Justice should be seen to be done and not only through word of mouth. "The
stones are still not turned even an inch, so we must go to court," she declared
further. Samba Gai an artist and Maudo Jobarteh, who also during the setting of
the commission expressed little faith in it stressed that they were outraged to
hear about the content of the commission's report.

Mr. Gai, said that at first he did not believe what was reportedly stated in the
report but that later when he saw the facts, he was totally upset.

He intimated that he is aware that the victims' families cannot change the
content of the report now but vowed to take "legal action and challenge its
validity." Modou Njie, also called on President Jammeh to allow justice to take
its course and bring those responsible for the killing of the students "in broad
daylight" to book. He added that Gambians are more interested to know and
identify those who murdered the students and not a "mere report without any
substance". However in the report submitted about four months ago by the
commission chaired by the Chief Justice Felix Lartey, some members of the Police
Intervention Unit (PIU) led by ASP Momodou Ceesay, other security functionaries
and the leadership of the Gambia Students Union were blamed for the deaths and
injuries that resulted from the April unrest. The report also declared that
security officers who tried to stem the tide of the student protest were found
to be "largely responsible" for the deaths and injuries which followed.

It also added that the student leaders who took the decision for students to
demonstrate would not go unblamed for the tragedy. So far no action has not been
taken since the report was submitted to President Jammeh in September.

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