By Koro Ceesay’s Family
When we think of Koro, the quote “Our lives are not fully lived if we are not willing to die for those we love and for what we believe- by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. comes to mind. Koro stood up for and died for his beliefs.
We chose to remember how Koro lived, not the way he died. Koro lived his life as a man of discipline, integrity, service, funny and above all, love for his family and country.
Koro was a patriot and visionary who wanted to transform and improve his country and her people. In his memory, our family has founded the Ousman Karo Ceesay Foundation which has been providing free school supplies, medical services, screening and community education to countless citizens for the past 4 years.
Koro’s legacy is about service, uplifting and making a difference. It should not be confused
with cheap attempts to smear his reputation. We have heard a lot about forgiveness during these hearings. Forgiveness is not for the villain/perpetrator; it is the victim’s way of taking back their power and strength.
Forgiveness is not a line you cross after hearing a superficial or pathetic apology, it’s a path you take. And our family took that path a long time ago independent of the our brother’s killers. They do not get to dictate when we heal. They tried to eliminate him and instead they amplified his message.
For the last 23 yrs, we wondered what we would do or say to Koro’s killers, honestly, what we feel for them is sadness. True power is not using guns and terrorizing innocent citizens. True power is to hold back from using power when you can use it, and instead choosing to use mercy.
Koro’s life was not ours to forgive, his killers would need to ask the Almighty for that. We pray that HE shows them more mercy than they chose to show our brother and other victims. We believe justice will be served. We continue to thank the Gambian people for their unwavering support. We are very appreciative and hope that everyone remains optimistic, for Justice delayed is not justice denied.
Thank you!