Sections
DONATE
SUPPORT WWW.JOLLOFNEWS.COM
Account Login
Gambia jails ex-army, navy chiefs for treason
Monday, 23 May 2011 17:29
(AFP) - Gambia's special criminal court on Monday sentenced the former army and navy chiefs to 20 years in prison
for treason for their involvement in a March 2006 coup attempt.Lang Tombong Tamba, former army chief, already sentenced to death for his role in a foiled coup in 2009, was jailed alongside Sarjo Fofana, former navy chief.
Tamba was sentenced to death alongside seven other top brass in July 2010.
In March 2006, Gambian authorities announced they had foiled an attempted coup to oust President Yahya Jammeh, who himself came to power through a bloodless coup in 1994.
Tamba, then deputy chief of defence staff, was at the time promoted to army chief for his role in foiling the coup.
Former navy chief Sarjo Fofana was the president of the general court martial which convicted and sentenced eleven men to various prisons terms, ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment, for their roles in the abortive coup plot.
The two men were arrested in March last year, accused by prosecutors of failing to report the coup plot within a reasonable period of time.
President Jammeh, an outspoken military officer and former wrestler, is said to rule the country with an iron fist, repressing criticism and brushing off concerns over human rights abuses.
He regularly hires and fires officials and reshuffles his cabinet, while he himself runs several ministries.
The leader, who turns 46 on Wednesday and is mostly seen dressed in white flowing robes, will be seeking a fourth term in presidential elections on November 24th.
He said his victory is "a foregone conclusion" and is not even campaigning in the run up.
Gambia is a thin sliver of land situated on the mouth of the River Gambia stretching inland from the Atlantic Ocean for 322 kilometres (201 miles) and less than 50 kilometres wide on average.
It is surrounded by Senegal on three sides except for some 80 kilometres of coastline and is one of the smallest countries on the continent with a population of around 1.07 million.
Popular among European tourists attracted to its palm-fringed beaches, the nation is regularly criticised by groups such as Amnesty International for illegal arrests and detentions and repression of journalists.
Jollofnews Poll
Who do you think should be the next President of The Gambia?
Follow us on Twitter
-
Teenager drowns in River ThamesA teenage boy dies after getting into difficulty in the River Thames at Oxford.
-
Muslim Brotherhood seeks unity ahead of Egypt runoffCAIRO (Reuters) - The Muslim Brotherhood is reaching out to rivals including politicians knocked out...
-
Bristol Rovers Speed Merchant Could Be Racing To Posh(GamSports) – Peterborough United are thought to be one of a number of Championship sides...
Comments
Keep it up Bros and Sists.
And we all remain in the service of SeneGamBissau for the rest of our lives.
I will get to post more comments; ain’t you here for GENUINE debate to sell your case for your country? Or are you & co, if you are natives, ACTUALLY on cheque, selling your birthright for a living?? Yet you tend to chose to include SUBHANA’W TALLAH in your justifications for perpetuations of misrule & murder in a community which belong to neither you & fellow, nor yaya jammeh alone, but to ALL, Gambian & non-aggressors??? Just where’s the HUMAN dignity/self worth of you & co? I PRAY for redemption to catch up with us ALL, including you & co, EVEN yaya jammeh. AMEN.
Comment
SURE! we’ll get there in PEACE, God willing; but yaya’s power-base-the notion that temporally has the guns, which are meant to safeguard all Gambians & any within or borders, to kill en-mass, just like in April 2000 holds NO-MORE;
.ccont above...
[comment]
Well I guessed, the first justice at last in this case was the dissaperance of the labanese "Rambo". Anyone who care about justice and a matter of fact have love for his people will wonder how come that man once chained together with these men accused of the same crime and the alleged financier of the crime suddenly vanishes from Gambia without trace and even the court has no comment on his whereabout.Mr, U dont care about justice nor the welfare of your people so please please withstand from using WE GAMBIANS.U dont speak for me,my family,my friends, workmate, my street nor many many Gambians to say WE Gambians.U have a vision 2020 when Gambia turned into "singapore" 2020 with peanut export,allah's bank, dictatorship and a HIV "curer".Ndeysan
It will be very interesting to know what type of dissatisfaction with a situation or in trouble you will then describe people who walk around in public with a Holy Koran and prayer beads!!
Comment
Here you are again, batch, the Gambia I know, certainly had an ‘inclusive-Constitution’ which gave power to the people before, & accommodated our believes that Islamic tribunal were established for majority Muslim population; compared to the modified diluted-Constitution today where yaya jammeh’s the absolute-power; micro & macro-manages all state affairs, resources & own EVERYTHING in entirety; you genuinely think WITHOUT illegal Cassa-nationals registrations yaya jammeh will win elections in Gambia?
...cont above...
There’s NO option to accommodate you & fellow ill-judged compatriots’ acts of perpetuation of misrule, injustice & murder of innocent souls in Gambia & sub-region for WHATSOEVER reason; trying to WRONGLY quote the Holly Qur’an & Allah, for justification of your abhorrent acts in connivance to yaya jammeh’s wanton destruction of our community WILL cost one VERY DEARLY.
RSS feed for comments to this post.