Witness to Truth Commission: I was shot twice in my left hand

877

By AWA SECKA

Oumie Jagne, a survivor of April 10/11, 2000 student shooting in The Gambia has informed the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) that she was shot twice in her left hand by a member of the Police Intervention Unit (PIU).

According to her, in the early morning of April 10, 2000 she held her basket and went to the market.

The witness said when she returned home, two female students ran in to their compound and informed her that her younger sister, Anna Jagne was running and follow by men of PIU near the Jeshwang prison.

She said the two female students were naked at the time of informing her about her sister.

“I asked them what was wrong and informed them that I was Anna’s elder sister,” she explained.

She said she went into her room and gave them some clothes to wear adding that as soon as they wore the cloths they led her to where Anna was chased by the PIU officers.

She said when she reached at Iceman junction, she saw Anna who called and then gave her the cloths she brought for her.

She said as they ran to move towards Kanifing she was shot.

“I told the PIU officer that he wounded my hand and he responded that if he get me he will shoot me again,” the witness said.

She informed the Commission that she was taken to the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH) now Edward Francis Teaching Hospital (EFTH) where she had two operations and admitted for 6 months.

The witness continued: “When we were at the hospital the former president Yahya Jammeh visited us and my elder sister Amie Jagne threw her crutch at him and insulted him.”

She disclosed that her sister told the former president that he ordered for the paramilitary officers to shoot at them because he was the head of state at that time.

She narrated that the former president told the health workers that they the April 10/11 victims should not go aboard for treatment.

She concluded that former president Jammeh’s assets belong to the victim of April 10 and 11.