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Uncovering Mass Graves in Gambia
Wednesday, 28 September 2011 17:27
A country where police chase petty criminals leaving major crimes unchecked:Matter of serious public concern(Opinion) - Curious observers are getting more impatient for clues leading to location of mass graves in Gambia. People close to the crime scenes have stayed too mute for too long. Somewhere some place somebody knows where all those unmarked graves sheltering the remains of people killed under cover of thick darkness. By Gambian tradition and religious values, every member of a family is given decent burial under normal conditions. But life is not normal in Gambia making it
possible that people disappear without trace and get killed by unknown dark fingers. What exactly motivates these killings and how people are dashed in deep unknown mass graves is a concern that will live on. It is also a legacy that crowns the period of fearful rule from July 1994 to date when military rule began in Gambia.With recent uncovering of mass graves in Libya, it is foreseeable to locate mass graves in Gambia. The regime in Gambia is carbon copy of deposed Libyan system. Gambia having severed relations with Libya does not destroy historical bonds the two leaders and the systems they put in place shared all these years.
Almost more than a decade ago, the issue of these mass graves comes up in public gossip lines. Fear of the unknown dark fingers keeps everyone avoiding direct talks about this alarming situation. Any responsible government will take such matters serious. Life has been going without claims like this for so many years. It could not be the fabrication political opponents for sake of causing more fear and petrifying alarm.
Where are the mass graves located?
Crucial to the enquiry about the Gambian mass graves is location. Those who carried out the hurried burial of missing persons no doubt have good idea where the graves are located. It is bad enough to have someone taken away against his will. Worse still is to kill that person and conceal the location of their improper burial ground.
From what people say, two places are more frequently named as possible location for mass graves. Yundum Army Barracks comes up any time the topic of mass graves is discussed. Another much talked about possible location is the forest cover near Brikama. These talks could not be mere gossip. It is obligatory on the part of any responsible government to dig up facts and put many years of side talks to rest once and for good.
Who are buried in these mass graves?
In the absence of any official count, it is impossible to know those who fell in the hands of unknown killers and buried under cover of darkness without trace. Disappearance without trace is common in Gambia since July 1994 military coup that brought the regime in power. Gambia’s prisoner population has grown beyond the limit since July 1994. There is no public information on number of unknown deaths in prison. With claims that prisoners are maltreated and also poisoned to death, it is the responsibility of government to clear the air. Only the government knows what is happening to prisoners and people detained at unknown locations around the country. To have someone arrested in Banjul and detained over 300 miles far away as Fatoto is clear sign that people die under custody of Gambian security service and buried without knowledge of their family members. Let the responsible security chiefs speak up. They are employed by tax payer funds.
To win public confidence that these unknown deaths and secret burials are not organised harmful schemes possible government involvement public information is vital. Matters have to be taken serious. Silence is no solution. Security forces have duty to perform. The army, prison guards, police, and secret agents of government keep their job through tax payer funds. They have to remember that and to desist from serving the special interests of a particular sitting government or leader of a ruling party. It is highly believed that many of those in the security outfit have information they are not willing to share. It has to start somewhere. Among our good people in security services, there are silent heroes. One day, someof the brave ones will break the long deep silence and become the hero deserved.
When were the victims killed?
Through a proper register of deaths, it is possible to know details considering the small Gambian population. Due to what is now becoming a trend in unknown killings, it will help for communities to keep track of their members. By close monitoring any missing person is tracked through records. Voters’ cards, hospital records, political party membership cards, farmer cooperatives, social clubs, are all possible ways of tracking people. District Commissioners, immigration department, local councils, and health posts are better sources of information for tracking personal details of all those who once lived in Gambia. Being a small and lowly populated society track keeping of individuals should not be that difficult. Immediate family members will always know if someone is missing.
Who are the killers?
Apart from the finger that pulls the trigger, there would have been a chain of command to give order for killing. Anyone in the security services who once killed by order of a senior commander is in possession of vital information. In the absence of guns, some killings would have been carried by torture and other forms of harmful treatment. These are done by people. Some of the killers are said to none Gambians. That is no excuse.Some of those involved in secret killings have been trained in Libya. They are everywhere in the country claiming to be defenders of a22 July revolution.
Many people are of the belief that none Gambians are used for organised killings because they have no family ties in Gambia. Government of the day has great responsibility to clear its name from all these pile of information circulating around the world. The big question is that what has anyone done to deserve being killed and buried in secret?
Why were they killed?Apart from none Gambian killers, some names come too who are said to be Gambians. Those Gambians have families. What the family members of those killers need knowing is that when tides turned hostile, it is not only the named individual member that Gambians will need for justice. Every member of a killer’s family will one day face questions needed for investigations.
What has the government done since?
This remains a question unanswered. Government of Gambia does not carry out serious investigation when someone gets killed. That is one reason many people take as government of Gambia having something to hide about the whereabouts of secret killers, missing persons, and unknown isolated or mass graves. Silence on part of Gambia government is adding more blames and heightened doubt regarding whether this government is serious about security of life and property in Gambia.
Gambia needs a missing persons’ line of enquiry
Police and other security service in Gambia need to open lines of enquiry for missing persons. It is abnormal to see this state of affairs in Gambia where people disappear and get killed without trace. To bury secretly killed persons in unmarked and unknown graves at isolated locations amounts to state of terror. There is no doubt that one day all those unmarked graves will be located. Not all those with vital information will dieaway before the truth is uncovered.
A missing persons line of enquiry will provide access to information and serve as point of contact where people with vital clues about missing persons can contact out and be reached by. Silence over the issue of missing persons is unhelpful.
Policing beyond petty crimes
By what we see, Gambian police are busier about petty crimes leaving more serious crimes off the hook. Courts in Gambia sit over cases of rape, small scale drug peddling, cattle rustling, false information charges, troubled journalists, street fighting and lot of trivial issues.
It is time that Gambian police raise the bar higher to serve better purpose. It is wrong to spend all time and effort wasting tax payer money on petty crime and minor criminals leaving behind serious crimes and major criminals. Laws operating by dictates of unjust custodians will never deliver fairness. Policing in Gambia has to go beyond petty crimes.
Missing persons family pressure group
As lots of people disappear without trace, many families are already affected. It is the right of those families to demand the location of missing members. Be it that they are detained without trial or trace or killed and buried in secret, information leading to their whereabouts is needed. People want to provide decent burial to their loved ones.
They want to pray for them through the right way.
Keeping people in fear can only go so far. Everyone whose family member has been killed or disappeared without trace has reason to demand justice. Gambia government is responsible for all missing persons. Let family members of missing persons come together and stand as pressure group for sake of helpless victims. Remember, it is by no choice of all those who suffered the harmful fate to fall victim. Care and concern for innocent victims is everyone’s obligation especially close family members. Where Gambia government fails to take responsibility is not the end.
Aggrieved families have many options. The first step is to come together and get organised. Innocent victims especially those who lost their life could not salvage the situation. Coming together as families of victims is a good starting point. A small start will no doubt attract some interest. Every missing person or anyone killed and buried secretly requires protection and lasting respect. Gambia deserves to be a safe society for everyone.The security of political and economic interest on the part of one group of particular individual does not warrant putting the life and property of everyone at gun point. Living in peace is priceless. Those paid by public funds have to defend and protect most assuring public safety. Don’t wait till the harmful fingers come to your door. The security you fight to see is yours too.
Anyone with information about Gambia’s unknown mass graves has a duty to let others know. Just because you can’t do something about it does not stop your helping the investigation. Speak up. Information for the next person gets everyone near the restoration of a safe and long lasting peaceful society. Secret killing without police investigation is state of terror.
Written by Sarjo Bayang
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