It’s running to the third year since Jammeh left and ECOMIG forces stepped into Gambia. What most Gambians don’t know is that even before the brutal shooting of Haruna Jatta, Senegalese forces had occupied Foni without any ECOMIG mandate. But who gave those Senegalese soldiers a right to occupy and shoot Gambians on a Gambian soil? What exactly did Haruna Jatta do that Solo Sandeng did not do? Right now, the TRRC presided over the April 2000 fatal student demonstration. We at forGambia condemn the killings in all these events. But the Barrow administration doesn’t condemn the killing of Haruna, especially, by an oppressive and occupying hostile force with thick venom against the people they continue to oppress. We interviewed APRC’s Deputy Party Spokesperson, Dodou Jah on Friday.

“I have to highlight government’s standpoint. My own observation, research and findings proved that this current government has sidelined or annexed Foni from The Gambia, I would say. What I mean by that is they did not care much about what is happening down that region. In the first place, they brag about transparency and accountability which to me is a myth as far as Foni is concerned. Because in the first place they’ve not been open to the general public. His Excellency President Adama Barrow went into an agreement with the Senegalese government.”

“At least we came to know through the ECOMIG spokesperson after few or several atrocities happening around Foni, people being harassed, shootings, and the like. Even the international community started having worries and people started pointing fingers at ECOMIG. Then their spokesperson had to come out in the light and said this is not ECOMIG mandate. It’s an agreement between the Gambia government and the Senegalese government. You have to clear ECOMIG out of this.”

“That’s when we came to know that the government is hiding something from us. Personally, based on my own analysis, I said the former president is from Kanilai which is Foni. He’s been accused of supporting the rebels in Casamance. And I put to analysis and I said, then, it is this government that is telling the people of Senegal that, ok the rebellion in Casamance was supported by the former president allegedly, but they bring these troops from Senegal, stationed them, telling them you can watch these people. They are the same tribe with those rebels in Casamance.”

 Jah feels this is very unfair because what actually needs to happen should be “about an African integration, all under ECOWAS and all within the A.U. So, whatever affects one region within this country affects others and whatever affects Gambia should affect West Africa and Africa should also show concern because we are also under the African Union. So, I feel this is dishonesty because the government should have come out in the open, [stop] making people believe it is ECOMIG mandate which is not. Whatever agreements they have with Senegal up to date, nobody can tell you what contracts or agreements H.E President Adama Barrow has agreed or signed.”

“Looking into this current thing of the TRRC, the witnesses, the Vice Chairperson, Mrs. Adeleide Sosseh trying to blame the Foni people for being an obstacle to reconciliation which I have to refute and tell them that’s not the case and they are the ones sidelining Foni. Since its inception, the government what they did is, everybody from that region or who belongs to the Jola tribe, they didn’t research, they’re the ones who kicked them out of the government by dismissing them and pushing them away. You cannot push people out, blaming them for being an obstacle to reconciliation.”

“I believe the slogan we recited, one Gambia one nation, one people, that was verbal but nothing practical and in essence, it is bogus. They should have practicalized that because if you become the president, you’re the president of the whole country despite people’s region, tribe, you know—no matter what background they come from, you’re the president of the republic of The Gambia. So, at least you should have united the people.”

“But you can’t have grudges, revenge, and anger [sic] down to this region which I feel is wrong. And what means or mechanisms we have, we have to take or we applying as a political party. We’ve been engaging them, people of Foni, telling them to be patient because peace must prevail no matter what comes. In the presence of peace, every problem, we will be able to find a solution. So, we’ve done our part by telling them to bear whatever they bring at them and also to assure them that it won’t last very long.”

“It’s just for a while and we’re trying to reach out in all our interviews, all our press conferences to convey this message to the rest of the world—not only Gambians, but the rest of the world to show them what this government is doing, definitely should be condemned. It is beyond human rights. And for them, they’ve been bragging, accusing the previous government of not having good human rights record, but just recently, over the years what’s been happening in Foni, definitely, everybody has to condemn that because it is against human rights as well.”

“So, you cannot champion democracy. That’s why I tell people that The Gambia here, we don’t have democracy yet, but we’re building. People said of our new-found democracy, I say not yet. We’re building. There are many things that are happening which are undemocratic. So, you cannot brag about having democracy while there are still human right violations happening—Haruna Jatta being killed. Previously, over thirty-seven youths including pregnant women were arrested at Kanfenda incident, the shooting of Ismaila Tamba and the killijng of Sheriffo Kujabi, you know, drivers being harassed, natives of Foni and the likes—its unending.”

“The government not only [refused] to take steps but they’ve never addressed the issues. They always [say] to investigate and to our astonishment, they never come out with any facts or results. So, it is as if they don’t care what happens to the people of Foni. They are Gambians. Gambia belongs to all of us. And their concern should be our concern. Whatever affects them should be a concern to all Gambians. So, we should continue to engage the international community like the A.U, U.N, and ECOWAS. As a party, we write to them to lay some of our complaints and some of these issues that are affecting not only our party militants, but some of the things we feel are not right in this country.”

The rest of the interview to be published later.

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