Protests in Greater Banjul Area 2019

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The protests in Greater Banjul Area 2019 took place on July 24, 2019 in the Gambian community Kanifing ( English Kanifing Municipal ) and in the adjacent district Kombo North of the West Coast region in the west of the country. The protests were triggered by the death of a businessman who allegedly - from the protesters' point of view - died in police custody . Violent riots broke out among the disgruntled, mostly young, participants in the mass protests.

initial situation

The Gambian police , Gambia Police Force , are investigating a break -in and theft that occurred on Thursday, July 11, 2019 in Kerr Serign . Suspects said that items stolen in the break-in had been sold to Ousman Darboe. Darboe, a trader in the Serrekunda market, was visited by investigators in his shop on July 12th. They found a flat-screen TV that was one of the items stolen from Kerr Serign. Darboe, a businessman, was arrested and charged under Gambian law of possession of stolen property. He was released on bail on Monday July 15th . Darboe stated during his detention that he was an asthma patient . This fact was also revealed in the papers his family submitted to obtain his bail release. Darboe is said to have been a 33-year-old Sierra Leonean national (a Guinean citizen and 36-year-old mention was an individual report that was not repeated).

Course of the protests

Ousman Darboe was killed on Wednesday morning July 24th after an incident allegedly involving police officers on social media. In a later police statement, the man was named as Ousman Darboe. Darboe lived in Dippa Kunda , a district of the Kanifing municipality, and had been in Gambia for 20 years. He was married to a Gambian woman and had two children. Darboe operated a business in the market of Serekunda near the "Black Market" ( German  black market ), where he sold laptops and mobile phones.

On this day young people protested into the evening hours to give their opinion on Darboe's death. They gathered in front of the Serekunda market and burned cardboard boxes and firewood on the main street of Serekunda. The number of protesters was given as "hundreds" according to another source as "thousands". The police tried to disperse the angry crowd of demonstrators using tear gas and rubber bullets. Due to the protests, traffic was blocked and shops in the area were closed. The police arrested six people. Some demonstrators held banners with the words "No to Police Brutality" ( German  "No to the brutality of the police" ) and demanded justice for Darboe's death. A member of the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) and a passerby were injured by flying stones. The protests spread to the Bertil Harding Highway and other areas of the greater Banjul area .

Angry young people stormed the police station in Serekunda and the location of the Police Anti Crime Unit (ACU) in Bijilo that day . The youth vandalized the offices, started fires and released all prisoners who were detained in the police station. According to the youth, Darboe died as a result of torture allegedly inflicted on him by the police. Several police vehicles were damaged and police officers injured in the riot. There was also an arson attack on the apartment of the commander of the Police Anti Crime Unit in Eboe Town , and the house of Police Commissioner Mboob was ransacked and destroyed.

As the uprising worsened in the evening, Major General Yankuba Drammeh , the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Gambian Armed Forces, appeared at the scene and called for calm. The politician Halifa Sallah ( POSIS ) also took to the streets to calm the protesters.

Participants in the protest were also upset because Kebba Secka, a student at the University of Gambia, had been killed by a police officer just a week earlier.

Reactions and consequences

police

On July 24, 2019 Police spokesman Lamin Njie spread on behalf of the Inspector General of Police ( English Inspector General of Police , IGP) a statement in which it said: "The Office of the Inspector General of Police received disturbing information about a crowd of angry youths who marched towards the Police Anti Crime Unit because of the death of Ousman Darboe. The IGP office calls on the youth to remain calm and restrained. ”It was further assured that there is an investigation into the death of Ousman Darboe and that the result will be duly communicated to determine the cause of death. In the evening, the public was again called upon to “keep the peace and not to gather near police stations, markets, regional council premises and security facilities. The security services personnel will conduct strict patrols and controls to ensure public safety. The cooperation of the public is very welcome. "

In an interview with the police spokesman, ASP Lamin Njie denied that the police were involved in Darboe's death: "We know he is dead, but he did not die in our care." He said the deceased was once arrested and on bail been released. According to the police spokesman, they received a report that the deceased was an asthma patient who fell over on a bicycle after an asthma attack. He added, “I don't know exactly where he died. I don't know if that's true. It is not an official source that he rode a bicycle. "

government

Government spokesman , Ebrima G. Sankareh , on July 24th, on behalf of the Gambian government, expressed deep condolences to the bereaved family members, relatives and friends of the deceased shopkeeper and made it clear, “[...] that Gambia is fully committed to the values ​​of democracy , the rule of law and respect for human rights. In accordance with these norms, the Government of Gambia will immediately conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances which led to the death of Ousman Darboe and if one or more individuals are held responsible they will be exposed to the full force of the law. "

In this statement, the Ministry of the Interior reminded the Gambian citizens “[…] that while it is a democratic right to assemble and demonstrate, it is illegal to carry out arson , looting and any form of violence against citizens. The ministry also strongly warns against the vigilante justice of the mob and admonishes the youth not to take the law into their own hands, no matter how painful the circumstances. ”The Gambian Interior Minister Ebrima Mballow released a statement on Monday 29 July spread the press by expressing condolences to the family and assuring them that he would take the allegations of police violence seriously and that he would await the results of the investigative commission.

Politician

Mamma Kandeh , party leader of the opposition party Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), announced on July 25th that he would interrupt his stay abroad and return to Gambia "[...] to participate in the ongoing efforts to restore peace." said, among other things, that he "[...] closely followed the events in Gambia and expressed serious concern about the current situation in our country." The United Democratic Party (UDP) also made a statement on July 29th, she encourage young people to be politically active, but call for non-violence.

In Sierra Leone, calls were made for President Bio and his wife Fatima Maada Bio (who is also a Gambian citizen) to act on the Gambian government to determine the cause of death and circumstances of the Sierra Leonean national so that justice could be expedited.

mid August

In mid-August, police arrested twelve people who were alleged to have been involved in the vandalism and destruction. Including the rapper Killa Ace . This group of people was released on August 20 on bail.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Lamin Njie: Ousman Darboe's death: Protesters sack Serrekunda Police Station, free all prisoners. In: fatunetwork.net. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019 (American English).
  2. ↑ a b c Lamin Njie: Police name man who allegedly died in their custody as Ousman Darboe. In: fatunetwork.net. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019 (American English).
  3. ↑ a b c d Momodou Jawo & Kaddy Cham: Hundreds protest against death of Ousman Darboe. In: thepoint.gm. July 25, 2019, accessed July 25, 2019 .
  4. ↑ a b Adama Makasuba: Police deny 'killing' street vendor Ousman Darboe. In: gambiana.com. Gambiana, July 24, 2019, accessed July 25, 2019 (UK English).
  5. ↑ a b c Police call for calm amid Ousman Darboe's death. In: thepoint.gm. July 25, 2019, accessed July 25, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Mustapha Jallow: Gambia: Market Vendors Protest Against Death of Their Colleague. In: FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda). July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019 (American English).
  7. ↑ Gambia: Police Appeal For Calm As Angry Mob Storm Serrekunda Police Station. In: jollofnews.com. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019 (American English).
  8. ^ A b Fatou Camara: Protesters Attack Police Anti Crime Unit, Personnel for Alleged Crime. In: chronicle.gm. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019 (American English).
  9. ↑ a b Hon. Ebrima Mballow, Gambian Minister of Interior: Interior Ministry says it takes torture, brutality seriously. In: thepoint.gm. July 29, 2019, accessed July 30, 2019 .
  10. ↑ a b c Pa Nderry Mbai: The Gambia Government Calls for Calm Following The Death of Shopkeeper Ousman Darboe. In: freedomnewspaper.com. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019 (American English).
  11. ^ Breaking news: Police clash with protesters at Serekunda market. In: gambiana.com. Gambiana, July 24, 2019, accessed July 25, 2019 (UK English).
  12. ↑ Gambia - Current Affairs: Gambia: Halifa Sallah Out In The Streets Of Serrekunda Talking To The Youths For Calm - 24/07/2019. In: youtube.com. July 19, 2019, accessed July 26, 2019 .
  13. ↑ Editorial: Another killing! In: thepoint.gm. July 25, 2019, accessed July 25, 2019 .
  14. ↑ Lamin Njie: Mass protests: GDC says its leader Kandeh has cut short his foreign trip and will return to Gambia. In: fatunetwork.net. 2019, Retrieved July 25, 2019 (American English).
  15. ↑ Almami Fanding Taal, UDP Spokesman: UDP PRESS RELEASE ON THE DEATH OF OUSMAN DARBOE, SUBSEQUENT VIOLENT PROTESTS. In: thepoint.gm. July 29, 2019, accessed July 30, 2019 .
  16. ^ Abdul Rashid Thomas: Gambian police accused of killing Sierra Leonean businessman. In: thesierraleonetelegraph.com. July 25, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019 (American English).
  17. ↑ 12 arrested in connection with Serekunda protest. In: thepoint.gm. August 19, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019 .
  18. ^ Police release arrested protesters on bail. In: thepoint.gm. August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019 .

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