By Momodou Jawo
In what started as a peaceful demonstration at Kanilai, the home village of former President Yahya Jammeh by the communities of Foni in the West Coast Region (WCR) has turned violent, as over 9 protesters were allegedly shot by the ECOMIG Forces stationed at Kanilai.
The villagers on Friday thronged the streets of Kanilai marching towards the Kanfenda Junction at the main Brikama-Soma highway with their banners and placards that reads; "Let the Soldiers Leave the Whole of Foni, Leave, Leave, Leave", "A Call for Concern, Foni Should Not Be Left Out or Intimidated for Any Reason. I Love Foni!! I Love Gambia!!" "Salifu Corr Out", among others that demanded for the ECOMIG Forces and Gambia soldiers to be removed from the Fonis, claiming their lives are being threatened.
Our reporter who visited the scene has seen burning tyres and road blockage by the protesters who were matching towards Kanfenda Junction. According to the protesters, the ECOMIG Forces stopped them as they marched towards the Kanfenda Junction where they supposed to hold their protest.
Some of the protesters who were shot by the ECOMIG Forces sustained injuries on their legs, stomachs, and elbows. The victims were: Ebou Tamba, Omar Jarju, Sainey Gibba, Musa Badgie, Alpha Jatta, Bakary Sanyang and Mustapha Tamba, some of whom were taken to Bwaim Hospital for medical attention but were later discharged.
Haruna Jatta, Amadou Jammeh and Buba Jammeh were wounded seriously until they were referred to the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul where Haruna Jatta was pronounced death on Saturday morning.
The late Haruna Jatta was married, survived with a wife, son and two adopted daughters.
Voices of the Protesters
Some of the protesters who spoke to the Daily Observer's Momodou Jawo disclosed that the ECOMIG Forces used live bullets on them whiles they were demanding for their removal out of Kanilai. According to them, another reason (s) for their peaceful demonstration was that when their livestock enter the camp of the ECOMIG forces they would detain the animals and if the owners come for them they would as well detain the owners of the animals, which they said was not fair.
The protesters further accused one Major Salifu Corr of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) for instructing the ECOMIG Forces to shoot them, as Major Corr believed that some rebels from Casamace were involved in the protest, which protesters denied as unfounded.
This, according to the protesters, prompted the ECOMIG to open fire with live bullets.
Another angry protester called on the authorities concerned to investigate about the shooting of the peaceful protesters by the ECOMIG Forces. According to him, the demonstration was as a result of the high presence of security forces at Kanilai and in the Fonis as a whole.
"If people are saying that the former president is working with the MFDC rebels, we don't know about it and it is false news. What I can tell you is that we are related with the people of Casamace and they are our brothers and sisters," he added.
He denied the allegation that rebels were involved in the protest, saying those are false allegation and that the demonstration comprises of only the people of Foni.
He made it clear that during the protest, none of them holds or carried weapons be it knife or a razor blade. So how can people say there are rebels in our group?
"Since the former president left the country, for almost five months, our children's cannot sleep comfortably. The Senegalese soldiers are the people that open fire and wounded our people, about three of our people are seriously wounded and were referred to Banjul," he stated.
"We are not happy about the incident because they hurt our children who embark on a peaceful demonstration with no intention of violence. Let the government take every Gambian as a Gambian, and treat every Gambian as a Gambian. Let the government put all this tribalism and segregation aside and put the interest of the country first in order for them to develop our beloved nation," he urged.
GAF's Reaction
When contacted, the public relations officer of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) Lieutenant Colonel Omar Bojang denied allegation that Major Salifu Corr ordered the shooting of the protesters. "Major Salifu Corr has soldiers under him, thus these are unfounded allegation that he ordered for the protesters to be fired," he said.
PRO Bojang added that the deployment of the members of the Armed Forces like any other deployment along our Foni settlements is because the situation of Foni before this has been very tense because of the activities of the MFDC rebels as they have been crossing our borders.
PRO Bojang recalled that in 2006 to 2007, they deployed their troops in Sibanor, Bullock and Kafuta and along Darsilameh boarders, adding that it is in the same line they have soldiers at Kanilai to protect the president and conduct patrol around the belt.
Immediately after the political impasse, he added that the soldiers were withdrawn when the president left thus there was a security vacuum in that area.
The GAF, he added, makes a reassessment on the security situation and felt the need to deploy the personnel of the Armed Forces to control along that access of the country thus the securities were there to exercise a national function.
"Investigation is ongoing and a join panel has been set-up to look at the matter as to what led to the demonstration. But people should be law abiding and understand that we have a duty to play in the country. Let them obey the rules and follow the rules and regulation that govern this country, because the country cannot be left un-governable by people. If you want to protest or demonstrate, there are rules to be followed," Bojang stated.
The deployment of the Armed Forces, he said, is key; saying we must remember were we come from. "The intention of the GAF and the government is to bring security to the doorsteps of Gambian thus the deployment of the Armed Forces is there to help the people, so lets people embrace them."
Daily Observer, Gambia , June 5th, 2017
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