This Friday, we will be commemorating the brutal massacre of over a dozen school children on April 10 and 11, 2000 by the Gambian police and soldiers.
Our hearts continue to bleed and our eyes continue to shed tears anytime we think of the brutal manner in which their souls departed this world. These young men were not criminals, rebels. They were not political opponents of President Jammeh either.
They were decent Gambians like you and me, who were only protesting against crimes committed against their colleagues; Ebrima Barry and a Brikamaba school girl.
The demands on the basis of which the students went out to demonstrate nine years ago, merely constituted a request for justice.
April 10 and 11, 2000 were indeed days during which Gambian students took to the streets to protest against rape and murder, with a clear call for justice to be done. Rape and murder are not only repugnant in the eyes of all faiths, but laws in all civilised jurisdictions prescribe stringent punitive measures against them.
Similarly, all our national cultures in the Gambia denounce them in the strongest possible terms. As a result, one should easily understand the reasoning which led to the decision to peacefully demonstrate against these heinous crimes against the two students.
Any mature political leadership would be ashamed of the manner in which the security officers reacted to the demonstration. It was an act of brutality that has no place in any civilise society. Murder was foreign to the Gambia, a country where people almost know each other.
Several security officers including Ousman Badjie, former secretary of state for the Interior, were indicted for the gruesome murder of our brothers little brothers and despite recommendation of the commission of inquiry that was set up to look into the disturbances, the government of Yahya Jammeh is still refusing to prosecute them.
In an apparent insult to the families of slain youths, the government has indemnified all the murderers from any criminal prosecution for their role in the killing of these children. Some of those blamed for the murder have since been rewarded with high government positions.
In other words, the Jammeh regime is saying that all these children who never had the chance to say good bye to their parents deserved to die in that brutal manner.
It is prudent, perhaps, to remind ourselves that the use of live ammunition and overwhelming force on children can never be justified nor simply swept under the carpet. By failing to prosecute those responsible, the government woefully failed to uphold the rights and freedoms of the Gambian people.
As Gambians, it is time we continue to put pressure on the Jammeh regime to prosecute all those who were indicted by the commission of inquiry. Our land has been defiled with the blood of young innocent children and it is our responsibility to ensure these children and their families get the justice they deserve. It is still not too late.
As we commemorate nine years since they departed this world, we pray to Almighty Allah to blessed their souls in His heavenly kingdom.
Rest in peace our heroes, you will always be in our hearts:
Calisco Preira
Burama Badjie
Karamo Barrow
Reginald Carrol
Omar Barrow
Wuyeh Massally
Momodou Chune
Lamin .A. Bojang
Ouman Sabally
Bamba Jobarteh
Abdoulie Sajaw
Bakary Njie
Unidentified victim
Sainey Nyabally
Ousman Sembene
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