By Mustapha Jarju
Victims of alleged torture under the former Gambian President Yahya AJJ Jammeh reflect on the alleged torture and sexual harassment meted on them during the 22 years.
They disclosed on Monday at the opening of the “Photo Exhibition of Torture Victims” of former President Jammeh, organized by the Solo Sandeng foundation at the Westfield Youth Monument.
Binta Nyabally, a victim of alleged torture, sexual harassment, and rape told journalists in an interview that she becomes a victim during the court proceeding of her uncle late Solo Sandeng.
“I was arrested by the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) officers because of attending the Solo`s court case and I was taken to the PIU Head Office, I was beaten, raped and a lot of dirty things were perpetrated on me at their satisfaction,” she said.
Madam Nyabally also said she doesn’t trust that the government under the leadership of President Adama Barrow that it will wipe her tears together with the other victims, saying the fight they did in ensuring that the bad government that was ruling the country to leave power for the citizens to have their rights is not being into effect because as victims they still cannot have justice.
“Today I have this belief that this government of Adama Barrow is more dangerous than the government that he succeeded because a government that is not concerned about the victims and not doing anything fruitful for the victims and that government is criticizing the victims, I don’t see any way that the government will make the victims happy,” victim Binta Nyabally pointed out.
“I Nyabally, a victim of former President Jammeh, turns out to be a victim of Barrow`s government. “I am a victim of the previous regime of Yahya Jammeh and I am a victim of torture and sexual harassment under this new government in 2019 during the ‘3Years-Jotna protest,” she added.
She told journalists that she is still facing health complications since her alleged victimization in 2016, and she is called on the National Assembly Member to take the Anti-Torture Bill with honestly considering women who fall, victim because they are the majority that vote during the election.
Falang Sonko, United Democratic Party Regional Coordinator for KMC who is also a victim of torture under the former regime of ex-President Yahya Jammeh told the journalists that, he was arrested at Westfield on the 14th of April 2016 during a peaceful protest calling for electoral reform, and they were taken to the PIU where they were tortured and later taken to the NIA where painful tortures were meted on him and his colleagues.
Falang said the saddest part of the Victim’s concerns is seeing people like Seedy Njie as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and Fabakary Tombong Jatta as Speaker of the National Assembly, noting those who supported dictatorship for 22 years and even when Gambians voted out the dictator they (Seedy Njie and Fabakary) insisted that he won`t step down power, and today they are the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.
Mr. Sonko stressed that there cannot be hope in the National Assembly in the case of the victims of the bosses at the National Assembly still insisting that ex-President Yahya Jammeh has not oppressed anyone during his time as a president.
“We cannot expect justice from these people unless God help us and we are not thinking about that, because those in the system are people who brutalize, torture and killed us and they are still the people enjoying the taxpayers’ money,” he pointed out.