Gambian leader under pressure from US, UN over deaths

DAKAR, Tuesday

President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia has warned the United States and the United Nations to respect his country’s territorial sovereignty.

President Jammeh’s statement on Monday evening follows calls by the US and the UN for his government to conduct “immediate and independent investigations” over the deaths of three opposition members in State custody.

The State-run Daily Observer on Monday quoted President Jammeh as saying that last Thursday’s protesters were “subversive forces” bent on sowing trouble in the country.

The country’s opposition leader, Mr Ousainou Darboe, is among six others still held in jail for demonstrating on Saturday for the release of his party’s secretary-general.

Mr Ebrima Solo Sandeng and two others are alleged to have died on Sunday after riot police allegedly tortured them following their arrest on Thursday calling for electoral reforms ahead of the December 2016 presidential poll.

INTERNAL AFFAIRS

Reacting further to the calls by the US and the UN to investigate the deaths, President Jammeh urged certain countries to refrain from meddling in The Gambia’s internal affairs.

Meanwhile, The Gambia’s information minister said yesterday he had “no clue” if detained opposition protesters had died in custody or where others were being detained, but asserted the two rare demonstrations they held were illegal.

Mr Sherrif Bojang told AFP he could not confirm the death in detention of opposition activist Solo Sandeng and two others.

The minister added he had only been informed that the protests were unauthorised and that Mr Sandeng had been arrested.

“I don’t know their whereabouts or what might have happened to any of them,” Mr Bojang said.

Regarding the arrest of opposition leader Ousainou Darboe, who held a march Saturday demanding answers over Sandeng’s death, Bojang said the human rights lawyer had failed to follow the law.

“This is The Gambia; we have rules and laws governing us and one of the laws states that before you embark on such a thing, you must seek and obtain (a) permit from the police and this isn’t done in his case and they were dispersed and detained,” the minister said.

The UN did not release details of the other two victims, but the UDP has previously spoken of two women in a coma in detention.

President Jammeh must “uphold the rights of the Gambian people to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

A military officer and former wrestler, President Jammeh has ruled The Gambia since he seized power in a coup in 1994.