April 10/11 student massacre: survivor renews call for justice

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By OUSMAN A. MARONG

As tomorrow marks twenty years of Gambia’s student massacre of April 10 and 11, 2000, Abdou Karim Jammeh, a survivor has renewed his call on government to properly investigate and bring the alleged shooters to book and justice.

Abdou Karim Jammeh who was attending junior secondary school at the time of the incident was shot in his knee on when students took to the streets to demonstrate against the raping of a teenage girl and alleged murder of Ebrima Barry.

Mr. Jammeh was speaking to The Monitor from Turkey where he and few victims are currently undergoing medical treatment.

“I feel very bad seeing our shooter walking freely in the streets while we endure the pain and the suffering. We are calling on the authorities to act as quickly as possible in order to ensure that our shooters are brought to book,” he said.

He said the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubacarr Tambadou’s remark gave them (victim) hope and confidence.

Abdou Karim recalled that minister Tambadou told the victims last year that justice should prevail for the victims and families of the student massacre.

He further stated that the minister said they (government) will try by all means know who gave the order for the shooting and killing of those protesting students and that justice will be served.

“We hope that justice will take it course, as we are engaging the TRRC and hopefully our shooters together with their evil dictator will be brought to book,” the outspoken survivor echoed.

He described April 10/11, 2000 massacre as the darkest day in the history of the Gambia, adding that these were the security officers who should have protected them but decided to shoot and killed some of their colleagues in brought daylight.

April 10/11, 2000 was the student demonstration was triggered by the human right abuse of students.

A female teenage student was allegedly raped and one Ebrima Barry, a student in Brikama, West Coast Region was beaten by members of Gambia Fire and Rescue Service followed by his death.

Students’ demand for justice for their two colleagues resulted in killing more than dozen of them and maiming many.

Victims and their families are still living in pain and the government of former president Yayha Jammeh that was accused of ordering for the shooting of student protesters denied the allegation.

A commission of inquiry was established and concluded that the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) also known as Paramilitary were responsible for the shooting including many deaths.

Even though the inquiry found these security officers culpable, former president Yayah Jammeh indemnified them through his then dominated National Assembly.