Over 30 Gambian youths, a woman and an elderly man all from the coastal village of Kartong in the Kombo South District in the West Coast Region have been arrested and detained at the notorious Mile II Central Prison. The mostly young environmental activists were rounded up few days ago after a confrontation with trucks believed to be conducting illegal sand mining in their native village which has consistently caused environmental and security hazards to the residents. The youths after complaining to the authorities several times and to a local newspaper without any response from the government decided to confront the sand miners to express their frustrations in degrading their beaches.
The stand off led to a scuffle between the youths and the Police intervention Units. Several hundred police men and paramilitary troops were called upon who rounded the activists including other innocent bystanders and took them to various police stations. A woman and an elderly man are reportedly part of those arrested whose family reported that those two had no idea what was happening and were just at the wrong place and time.
After few days of detention all 33 detainees were taken to Brikama Magistrate court and slammed with five counts of charges. The case was presided over by Magistrate Hilary Abkeke an alleged Nigerian activists magistrate known for being a pro government magistrate who activists accused of being a mercenary judge. The five count charges levied by the Inspector General of Police vs all 33 villagers arrested. The charges ranges from misdemeanor; prohibition of conduct, Riot, and Malicious injuries, among others.
Gainako obtained a copy of the counts which were read in a court full of activists and on lookers as:
Count one: Conspiracy to commit misdemeanor, contrary to section 269 of the criminal code cap. 10:01, vol. III, revised Laws of the Gambia 2009 and alleges that on the 22nd day of November 2015, at Kartong sand mining site, Kombo South, West Coast Region, in the Republic of the Gambia, the accused conspired to commit misdemeanor thereby committed an offence.
Count two prohibition of conduct: states that the 33 people at Kartong sand mining site, Kombo South, West Coast Region, in the Republic of the Gambia, conducted themselves in a manner likely to caused a breach of peace.
Count three, States riots contrary to section 69 of the criminal code cap 10:01 VOL that on the 22nd day of November 2015 , at Katong village at the sand mining site, at the same Village the accused Assembled and conducted themselves in a manner that caused reasonable fear to neighbors which is likely to cause a breach of peace.
Count four: Malicious injuries contrary to section 312 (1) of the criminal code cap 10:01 VOL 111 Revised laws of the Gambia 2009 states that the 33 people allegedly rioted, illegally assembled, unlawfully and with force, prevented, hindered, and obstruct the following vehicles BJL 2819 K, BJL 1878 K, BJL 1451 Land BJL 5935 K, from loading sand at the sand mining site I area (Legal ownership of vehicles have not been verified).
Count five, Riotously Interfering with Vehicle/Vessel contrary to section 78 of the criminal code cap 10:01 VOL 111 Revised laws of the Gambia, on the same date and settlement, the 33 are alleged to have riotously assemble and conducted themselves with force to prevent or obstruct the loading of vehicles..
The following people are facing the charges levied above:
Sadibou Bojang | Ambrush Bass |
Victor Colley, | Omar Manneh |
Ebrima Ceesay | Abdoulie Jarju |
Abdou B.M Ceesay | Yama Jarju |
Abdoukarim Sabally | Yahya Jabang |
Sankung Jawo | Kankang Jarju |
Sheikh Janneh | Pa Manneh |
Yahya Touray | Buba Manneh |
Ansumana Manneh | Babucarr Manneh |
Amadou Ceesay | Omar Manneh |
Saikou E. Camara | Modou Manneh |
Alieu Touray | Ebrima Manneh |
Lamin K. Touray | Lamin Ceesay |
David Manneh | Buba Ceesay |
Emil Demba | Yuspha Manneh |
Omar Bojang | Habib Manneh |
Muhamed L Manneh | |
All 33 detainees are being represented by Barister Lamin J Darboe and a team of defense lawyers. The Prosecutor is Inspector K Gibba. All defendants were denied bail and remanded at Mile II one of the worst prisons in West Africa. The next proceedings will be Tuesday December 1st, 2015.
Sources close to corridors of power has alleged that President Jammeh has personally given directives to the Inspector General of Police to make sure that the Young people are detained and not granted bail. He has allegedly threatened to set an example on these youths.
The case has attracted widespread condemnation from Gambian activists in the Diaspora who alleged that the youths were only out to express their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of express and assembly. This is a right guaranteed by the Gambian constitution but the oppressive government of Yahya Jammeh has continuously crack down on citizens exercising their rights to free speech and assembly. The issue is said to be creating a lot of tension in the region as elderly villagers have demanded that the authorities release the young activists.
The major concerns of this case mirrors several other incidents across the country where the President allegedly set up private companies for his own personal business and he has seized private and publicly owned land and turned them into his own. The youths of Karton, Gunjur, Sanyang and surrounding villages have seen their community lands turned into commercial business ventures without the community benefiting either in the form of revenue or employment for the youths. Instead the youths have been sidelined and the government have consistently created divide and rule within the communities to allegedly benefit the President and his personal businesses such as KGI.
Observers of the case said the situation is very tense and it could potentially spare further confrontation with the community as the people are fed up with deliberate confiscation of their properties. The local elected officials in the area are also alleged to be serving either on the boards of such companies or are a partner in the business. The people therefore have little or no choice but to confront the situation.
Gambian activists in the Diaspora have jump on the case and are coordinating efforts to raise funds for legal defense of the detainees. A Gofundme account have been created by a youth movement GYU which is calling for support from other Gambian organizations to help raise much needed funds for what could be a lengthy legal tossle that is likely to drag for a long time just to break the spirit of the protesters and to prevent others from doing the same. This has been a tactic the Jammeh administration has employed effectively to silence opponents. Gainako is closely monitoring the situation and will update our readers as the case develops.