The true story of Kukoi Samba Sanyang will lend self to varying narratives, depending on who is telling it.The Character of the man looms large, love him or loathe him. He has as many enemies as he has friends and associates within and outside of The Gambia.
All might agree, his rise to national recognition was mainly linked to his leadership of the 1981 abortive coup in Gambia, a story which I believe, has still not been fully told.
For now basic Human Decency requires us all to treat his passing with compassion, even when we do not mourn his death. Kukoi is a fellow Gambian who, I will argue forcefully has remained true to his beliefs and outlook up to the last minute. Many may disagree with his views, or indeed his part in the abortive coup of 1981.I have known Kukoi since our boyhood in school, and through our tertiary education years and beyond. I have disagreed with him on occasions about views he holds strongly, but always respected him for his consistency of thought and set of core beliefs, some of which I share.
I was on a short contract with BBC Focus on Africa in 1981, and over the radio, I condemned that attempted coup for a variety of reasons, but equally blamed the Government of the day for poor performance in development, giving cause for disaffection and concern.
I intend to tell Kukoi’s story as I know it, but this is for later. This is not the time for that, or a time for vilifying and denigrading him.Kukoi Samba Sanyang, like anybody else deserves a Descent burial within the choices made by his immediate and wider family.
Through Mr.Buba Baldeh(who is in the forefront of arrangements in situ),I have spoken to his cousin Mr.Tamba,and to his daughter Aminata and son Samory yesterday and earlier today. They express a desire to have his remains buried in Gambia, failing which they will bury him in Senegal. Arrangements have been completed to keep his remains at the new Piccine Hospital in CampThiaroye.The Speaker of Gambia’s National Assembly(Mr.Abdulai Bojang) has been approached by the family, to seek clearance from Yahya Jammeh to allow his burial at his home town of Wassadung in Foni.The family of the deceased,Mr.Alioune Tine(president of Senegal Human Rights Commission Mr.Buba Baldeh ,Dr.Sedat Jobe,Mr.Seydi Gassama(Director of Amnesty Senegal) ,Mr.Dodou Jobe and a cross section of the Gambian Community in Senegal will be at the airport to receive the remains of Kukoi. The press are expected there too.
It is a tragedy that Gambians cannot even make a choice about whether one can bury their dead in Gambia or not. Normally the issue should not even arise, but we have a dictatorship steeped in hate and blood and without an iota of tolerance for democratic dissent.
The visit of SusanWaffaOgoo to Dakar,I gather, may not be a coincidence, given the ambivalent, andsometimes the unpredictable attitudes of The Senegalese Government towards matters Gambian. The fact that Senegal has paid for and allowed the remains of Kukoi to be flown out to Dakar, does not take away their dastardly act of “deporting him” to a foreign country to satisfy yahya jammeh,in exchange for latter’s co-operation on the vexed Casamance issue…a war Senegal has not been able to win since 1982.
In consultation with Amnesty (Senegal), The Family of Kukoi in Dakar and brokered by Mr.Buba Baldeh in situ,a number of us in London have agreed to set up A FUND to assist his children with on-going Funeral and related expenses. We respectfully request that you contribute to this FUND if you are able. The proceeds will be sent to the family in Dakar through Buba Baldeh and accounts of payments will be made available on request.
DETAILS OF ACCOUNT
Santander Bank
Sort code:09 01 27
Acct:no…73768353