26-year-old survivor says Jammeh destroyed lives, Green Boys abducted and beat elders

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By AWA SECKA-JAWARA

Modou Lamin Jobarteh, 26-year-old survivor of the 2009 “witch hunting” exercise and a native of Aljamdu, Upper Niumi, North Bank Region has told the truth commission that youth are the backbones of the country but their lives have been destroyed by the former president Yaya Jammeh because he was abusing them.

He said Jammeh style youth movements should be discouraged in the country, stating that the Green Boys were abducting elders and beating them.

Explaining her ordeal before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) Jobarteh said he will never forgive Yaya Jammeh for what he has done to him.

The witness said ‘’witch hunters’’ capture him and give him concoction to bath with and drink at the same time.

“When I refused to go with them one the Green Boys slapped me on my face and dragged me forcefully to go with them,” he said.

He said they grabbed him up to the bantaba (village square) where he found many elders sitting on the ground.

He further said that there were men dressed accompanied by Green Youths and soldiers armed with guns who asked them to board the bus to Fort Bullen in Barra.

He explains that when they arrived at Fort Bullen, he saw one Lamin Ceesay who was in a handcuff and his face was bleeding.

Jobarteh said they were later moved to Kololi at Baba jobe’s compound where they asked them to sit on the tile and provided with food.

“At Baba Jobe’s compound I was taken up stairs together with Saikou Jallow by the men who were dressed in red. I was told that my eyes were having problems that I should pay D500 dalasi for treatment,” said the witness.

According to him, he told them that there was nothing wrong with her eyes.

He said he was undressed and asked to bath with the concoction and drank it at the same time, adding that he became sick and I was unconscious.

He recalled that some people were beaten by soldiers and the Green Boys with batons.

“I appeal to them that I was having a test at my school and I was released. When I arrived home I began to feel a pain in my stomach and chest. When I went back to school students were pointing fingers at me calling me a wizardh. I had to sit at home for three weeks. I sat to the exams I failed and dropped out of school,” he explained.