Gambians in America Seek U.S. Govt Help to Halt Prisoner Executions
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Journalist Yero Jallow talking to a local TV reporter about rights violations in Gambia |
Following the August 23 execution of 9 death-row inmates by President Yahya Jammeh, Gambians in Minnesota Monday marched onto the State Capitol seeking U.S. government support to dissuade the west African dictator from carrying out any further executions of the remaining 38 condemned prisoners.
The protesters also called on the state’s U.S. Senators and House Representatives to exert pressure on Gambian authorities to abolish the death penalty, which they claimed was being used by Yahya Jammeh as a cover for his ‘human sacrifice’ purposes. And as they marched onto the steps of the Capitol building, they chanted anti-Jammeh slogans and waved placards decrying death and torture in Banjul. One such placard reads “United States, help stop Jammeh now!”, while the other says “My president is a cannibal”.
President Yahya Jammeh has vowed to execute all 47 prisoners condemned to death by mid September. Rights group, Amnesty International and the international community, including the west African regional bloc Ecowas, AU and the European Union, have all pleaded with the dictator, but their efforts weren’t enough to save the nine prisoners.
There are reports that the EU and the U.S. may consider sanctions against the impoverished tiny west African state of 1.7 million people.
U.S. –based Gambia civil society group, CSAG and Amnesty International have claimed most prisoners on death-row are members of the opposition and former security officers implicated in failed ‘coup attempts’ and later convicted in trials deemed not to have met international standards.
Yahya Jammeh came to power 18 years ago after overthrowing a democratically elected government of the country’s first post colonial president Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara in a military coup. His rule has all along been tainted with a bloody human rights record, including the murder of a prominent news editor Deyda Hydara. His government is also accused of gunning down 12 unarmed protesting students 6 years after coming to power.
In 2006 a dozen plus security officers, including his intelligence chief Daba Marenah are believed to have been summarily executed following a ‘failed coup attempt’. And in the same year, 52 Europe –bound west African migrants were hacked to death by members of president Jammeh’s security forces.
The Minnesota protest drew support from U.S. citizens, Guineans in the States and Senegalese nationals. Notable among the protesters were Gambian rights activits and journalists Yero Jallow and Fatou Jaw Manneh. Minneapolis-based Sierra-Leonean journalist Isa Mansareh was also in attendance. The protest leader was a respected community leader Papa Faal.
Local television channels Fox 9 News and WCCO News covered the demonstration.
Similar events will be held on Tuesday in New York and Washington.
By
pape
on
09/05/2012
sorry but i'm going to write in french.
Yayah est un criminel qu'il aut stoper a tous prix.l'execution de nos 9 parents senegambiens est l'arbre qui cache la foret. avant ca des centaines de personnes sont mortes assassinees par ce sanguinaire sans scripule,mais j'invite mes freres senegambiens a maintenir la mobilisation et de se tenir debout a l'instar de nos vaillants resistant et marabouts commemansa kanka musa, ibn batuta, Serigne touba, bayed niasse, lat dior ngone ,aline sitoe,etc.. Nous senegambiens avons toujopurs dit non a l'oppression (niani bagn na)donc ne restons pas les bras croise a regarde cet illetre nous assevir comme des esclaves.
Ô PEUPLE SENEGAMBIEN ,DEBOUT.
By
Gambia is bleeding
on
09/04/2012
Dear Editors,
Another day is begining in grief for the family of the people executed by Jammeh.
Not only the 9 but the uncountable number of them before.
Can you imagine what these people feel now that after they could not say goodbye to their loved ones, they even now are not handed over their dead bodies to burry them.
He is enjoying his repulsive acts and to distract attentio from his hideous acts he is forcing 2000 people to weed his farm to finance Jammeh's Foundation for Peace and show what a good father he is for the Gambians.
What a tragedy.
Why does Senegal does not act ? Have they no respect for the people that were killed ?
I love you Gambian people , I feel more Gambian than this man.
He is worse than Hitler because all the injustice, all the killings, all the oppression he is doing to his OWN people.
He is expoiting the poor situation in which most of the Gambians are and he is buying the conscience of the people around him.
Jammeh is this a Gambian ? Is this a muslim ?
Gambian people where is your dignity where is your self respect ?
I hear talking talking talking, but nothing will change if you do not ACT my fellow Gambians.
You see you can not rely on politics in the US or the EU or the UK.
They will do nothing they are not interested they are to selfish they even support him.
Where are the diaspora Gambian lawyers to bring him before the ICC.
Ironcly you have there Fatou Bensouda as Prosecutor.
He also must be forced to hand over the bodies so the truth can come out.
Why is nobody doing anything.
You know when I write this tears fall from my eyes.
I always believed there is something good in everybody and that someone who is acting bad one day realizes his acts but probably this is wrong.
There are only 2 ways the ICC or the bullet.....
How much more innocent Gambians must be killed, tortured ?
Time will tell.....
I only can pray for my Gambian friends....