More than 200 convicted prisoners, including 31 treasoners, have become beneficiaries of President Yahya Jammeh’s amnesty. Also freed were the illegally detained family members and friends of the December 30th failed attempt coup.
Families and friends of the freed convicts gathered in Mile 2 yesterday to witness what they had not expected from a regime that has a history of ruling its citizens with iron fist. The air in the country’s central prisons was filled with mixed feelings as people were spotted jubilating and crying.
The total number of the freed Mile 2 prisoners totalled 231(182 Gambians and 49 foreigners), according to official figures. Jammeh’s clemency is extended to convicted drug dealers, murderers and former officials jailed for graft.
Among those who enjoyed President Yahya Jammeh’s July 22 anniversary gift were former ministers (Njogu Lamin Bah and Lamin Jobarteh, former ministers of Presidential Affairs and Justice, respectively), top security officials (Lang Tombong Tamba, Lamin Bo Badjie and Ensa Badjie, heads of the Army, Intelligence and Police) and the ruling party loyalists. They appreciated the gesture and expressed their loyalty to a president whose government locked them up for years.
Some of the pardoned prisoners whose conviction were based on trump up charges showered praises on President Jammeh for allowing them to breathe air of freedom. A former Director of the National Intelligence Agency, Lamin Bo Badjie, described his jailing as God-ordained. For Abdoulie Joof, the jailing has not diluted his support and loyalty to President Jammeh and the APRC.
In a statement, the government said it had granted amnesty to all those convicted during the People’s Progressive Party. However, it had failed short of disclosing the number of prisoners convicted before July 22, 1994 when a group of disgruntled soldiers overthrew a democratically elected government of Sir Dawda Jawara.
Many activists hailed Mr. Jammeh’s clemency but felt disappointed that no single political or prisoner of conscience was among those pardoned. They accused President Jammeh of being angry with the likes of Amadou Sanneh, the UDP National Treasurer serving five-year jail term in Mile 2.
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I think Amadou sanneh should fight his release in the courts or sit the remaining sentence in defiance instead of a pardon that will imply guilt. Another problem is that as a big wig of the UDP, such a so called pardon with sanneh paraded on TV thanking his abductor for an undeserved clemency will kill the political will of the party and their leading position in taking on the dictatorship. Prison is terrible especially for a political prisoner. However like Nelson Mandela, if it means ending impunity, the ultimate sacrifice must be paid. Especially if your conscience is clean.
Finally, Pardoning sanneh in this way means he will be unable to take on any political roll for his party. Remember the “pardon” is tied to strings of conditions which must be rejected by any serious political prisoner.
Kinteh ,thanks for your good explanation . What I find disheartening is the blaming of Their God ( Alhah ) in their illegal incarceration. How can they blame Alhah for the problem some of them created in the first place by supporting the very system which imprisoned or kidnapped them ? It is clear to me , Gambians are so obsessed with Allah that they think every problem they have is the cause of Allah without taking any personal responsibility . A society of hopeless people who are always obsessed with God are termed by a renowned sociologist as society in the lowest ladder of human civilization . That is Gambia for us . A society where people think every evil and good decisions are made by their Allah who is sorely responsible for their problems . I wonder what type of Allah we have in our country which is different from the rest of the world . I know all human being who believe in God knows that God has given us brains to think and make decision which we are going to be accountable in this world and hereafter. There is personal responsibility in any religion. It is ignorance of most Gambian people to bring their Allah in every little conversation and this is highest hypocrisy and ignorance . In my research , I discovered that the prophet of Islam talked very little about the mentioning the name of Allah in conversation and it was non Muslims who always brought Allah’s name when discussing issues with the followers of Islam . This was because non Muslims were scared and worried about the teachings of the prophet and they had to constantly mentioned the name of Allah in very conversation. when I heard a Gambian quick to mention Allah’s name in every little talk which has nothing to do with Islam , I know the person is expressing his stupidity and ignorance of Allah . As this so called prisoners who are illegally kidnapped were released , I heard ” it was Allah’s decision , it was Allah’s making and it was Allah’s act “. I wonder what type of Allah are they talking about ? Their Allah must be very unfair and treated them as worst human being on earth . I know Allah means God , also I know that God I know is very fair which gave us responsibility to make decision and each individual is ultimately responsible for his decision. The God of Gambians are the same God in the United States and every where . Please for my God sake , please don’t blame our God for your problem or oppression . if Gambians continue to accuse God for their oppression , they will face him in the day of judgement and explain why they are accusing him. The evidence Our God has against the Gambian people is the brains he has given them to think and make a rational decision.
There’s NO benevolence in the Evil Devilish kanilai yaya Dracula…
Selective kangaroo-amnesty for aid-abet devil stooges, in manoeuvres to look for possible ways of facilitating on political reverberation for electoral purposes, will NOT outdo genuine Gambians determination to freedom…
Justice for ONE, justice for ALL without preconditions… ALL POLITICAL prisoners MUST be released FORTHWITH; whilst due compensation are considered & readied for victims of torture, rape, maim, disappearance, murder, etc etc…
While Gambians rejoice at the signs of CRACKS in the Tyrannical kanilai Syndicate Fiefdom; there’s need for more relentless efforts & pressure for final reclaim salvage of the motherland… NO retreat; NO surrender…
The EVIL yaya Devil is playing balls to continue disarray the collective opposition politicians’ consultations, utterances, & efforts on possible collective opposition unifier…
Evil Murderous Idol Worshipping yaya, PRETENTIOUSLY hides behind religion & false ill-fated so-called stage managed amnesties in blood-soaked image mock cleansing attempts; for NOTHING can clean DEVIL yaya’s murderous crimes, corruption, maladministration & other heinous crimes committed against Gambia & friends…
No amount of tricks can succeed in deterring the genuine Gambian resolve to restore rule of law & order, justice, peace & tranquillity in Gambia…
God helps & bless collective endeavour to salvage Gambia; Ameen.