Worrying Gambian Murders Abroad

The brutal killing of yet another Gambian immigrant has renewed fear of insecurity among Gambians abroad. Police are still looking for three men accused of beating Bubacarr Camara to death in a robbery that went wrong in New York last week. The 26-year-old was violently attacked at his father’s store. Camara’s attackers quickly fled the scene, leaving him in a cardiac arrest. He was rushed to the hospital with the expectation that he was going to survive, which never happened. What is more painful and frustrating than receiving the unexpected death of your loved one? The Camara family was expecting to meet home over dinner, discuss the day and plan the next day but Bubacarr’s sudden death left the family in disarray. And the absence of the deceased’s mother and wife in New York makes matters even more traumatizing. This is why Bubacarr’s younger brother Ibrahim struggled to pass the news to their devastating mother.

Ebrima has his own devastation as evidenced in his interview with CNBC News. “If they catch the killers, that’s not going to calm down my heart. My crying will never bring him back. What I want is to see my brother. That’s all I need.”

Camara, who lived in Gerard Avenue in the Bronx with his father and two brothers, was his father’s eldest son. He had immigrated to New York from The Gambia seven months ago. Bubacarr came to help his father manage his business and support his wife and one-year-old son back home. Like any Gambian immigrant, Bubacarr was working hard to support his family. He surely died with his unfulfilled dreams.

Bubacarr’s tragic death followed similar ones in the United Kingdom and the United States. One of the victims who died of stabbing was a Gambian teen.

It is human to search for answers to anything that threatens our lives. Since the massacre of 150 students in Garissa University, Kenyan authorities have been searching for answers. The only viable answer that emerge is the introduction of self defence lessons in the country’s schools to prepare students in case of a possible terror attack. What can Gambians abroad do to protect their precious lives when they are attacked? It’s about time we go into thinking spree instead of leaving our fate in the hands of Allah alone who expect us to protect ourselves.

Kairo News extends its heart-felt condolence and sympathy to the families and friends of all those Gambian immigrants who were violently murdered. The trauma of running away from trouble home only to meet it abroad is just too much.

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