By Landing Colley
Lang Tombong Tamba, former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) has denied allegations that promotion among the soldiers was based on tribalism.
Testifying before the truth commission on Monday he said: “The promotion in the Armed Forces was based on merit, a recommendation from various service and Army chief up to my level. However, there were promotion that were sanction by the Commander-In-Chief which I do not have control over,”
He added: “The rank sanction by me were based on merit and the promotion made by the president which is dictated by the constitution to promote people in the army were also based on merit because what he may see as genius promotion might be different from my own opinion.”
He said maybe soldiers that were promoted without merit consideration were working directly under former President Jammeh.
“There was no promotion based on tribalism simply because when I was a CDS my deputy was Masanneh Kinteh and he was not a Jola. The promotion was not based on tribalism,” General Tamba reiterated.
On 1994 Coup
The former Army chief explained that former president Sir Dawada Jawara traveled to the kingdom of Morocco and later proceeded to England for his annual vacation with two top military officials captain Lamin Kabba Bajo, former head of presidential guard and Lieutenant Demba Njie.
He said there was a rumor in town that some soldiers were planning to overthrow the president, adding upon getting the information he contacted Captain Bajo while in England who later informed that Sir Dawda.
“Hence it is information that cannot be underrated I put a standby unit a week before Sir Dawda’s return and upon his returned, I led a team to the Airport (that is an escort team and fighting team),” he said.
Speaking further, General Tamba testified that he saw former president Yahya Jammeh, then head of the Military Police with a gun at the Airport premises.
However, he said Jammeh was later confronted by the Nigerian High Commander of the Army about his presence in the airport.
“I heard him saying that he is the head of the Military Police and he has the right to be where ever he wants. The Nigerian Head of Army disarmed him and sent him away. But he never left until when the aircraft landed I could not see him,” he narrated.
He said during the coup, Sir Dawda was taken to the American Naval Ship but when Commander Bajo heard this information then he followed him to the ship.
He said, during the coup a group of soldiers, led by Lieutenant Edward Singhatey arrived at the State House and demanded to speak to the authorities, saying the team leader was holding RPG kneeling on the ground.
“While we continue to exchange words, I saw more soldiers joining Edward Singhatey’s team. I did my assessment and I believed that those at the Denton Bridge have already joined them,” he said.
Moving on, he said after assessing how the overthrow was going, he realized that his team cannot fight the rebel soldiers, adding “I instructed my soldiers to open the gate and allow them to enter. The decision was made to save my personnel hence the president was also secured.”