By Adama Makasuba
Army Major Wassa Camara has denied allegations before the Truth Reconciliation and Reparation Commission that the soldiers who were under his command arrested and beaten the 2000 April 10\11 student demonstrators in central river region.
Major Camara was a lieutenant and commander officer of Kudang military post which is east of the country in the Upper River Region.
In his testimony on Wednesday, the army officer told the Truth Commission that: “my men (soldiers) didn’t arrest or beat any student, may be other men’s.”
After receiving the information that students are demonstrating, he told the commission that he ordered soldiers under his command not to beat or shoot at any student, adding that “I gave an order that nobody should be beaten, nobody should be slap and nobody should be shoot.”
However, many witnesses who testified on the April 10\11 demonstration told the Truth Reconciliation and Reparation Commission that security men arrested and beat, and used live ammunition on them.
But Major Camara debunked allegations that his men had neither use live bullet nor tortured any demonstrator, adding that, he : “kept on advising those soldiers that you don’t have the right to beat or slap anyone.”
The students were demanding justice for their colleague- Ebrima Barry, who is alleged to had died as a result of tortures inflicted on him by the officials of Gambia Fire Services in Brikama and another school girl who is also allegedly rape by personnel of the Police Intervention Unit at the Independence Stadium the same year.