Breaking News: Darboe, Others Appear In Court But Some Detainees Missing

UDP ImageLawyer Ousainou Darboe of opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) this afternoon appeared  with other peaceful protesters in High Court in Banjul.

At least 37 people appeared in court to hear their charges. Nineteen of the Saturday protesters, who included Mr. Darboe, appeared along with 18 Thursday’s protesters led by Ebrima Solo Sandeng.

The Gambia government has neither confirmed, nor denied the death in custody of Thursday’s protesters. However, some protesters, including Solo Sandeng, Fatoumata Jawara, Nokoi Njie, Fatou Camara (UDP Executive Members) and Modou Ngum, were not present in court. Some accused persons are enduring pains of injuries, perhaps from either rough arrest or brutal torture while in detention.

No reasons were given for their absence, raising suspicion that the state is hiding a skeleton in its cupboard.

Solo Sandeng who reported to have been killed by Jammeh has not physically appeared in court. No woman appeared in court.

Both groups were charged with unlawful assembly, inciting, riot, violence, rioteously interfering with traffic, holding procession without license and disobeying an order to disperse from an unlawful procession.

There was a legal wrangling over service of indictment of the accused involving the state prosecutor and lead defence lawyer Antouman.

Mr. Darboe and co are now waiting to take their plea.

Kairo News will keep you posted on developments from the court.

Ends

16 Comments

  1. Deyda Haidara

    Let us not be distracted with this FOOLISH time buying court case. We will continue to march demanding Electoral Reforms whether a permit is granted or not. We will also demand that the killers of Solo Sandeng and Co. be brought to justice.
    We will not leave the streets until ALL our demands are met. Our DEAD Heroes lives will not go in vain. NEVER.

  2. Jammeh’s days are numbered . UDP will continue to fight and will be victorious soon . Mr Darboe is Nelson Mandela of The Gambia . I know he will continue to fight for rest of his life and we must follow him and we are with him and all the UDP . Long live UDP long live The Gambia .

  3. It’s rumour that Solo is still alive. Jammeh should understand that the Gambian people support him for the commendable development the Gambia have achieved under his rule. But killing innocent Gambian will not go unpunished. Definitely.

    • Luntango Suun Gann Gi

      Malang, I chronicled Jammeh’s achievements in a book ten years ago. But since then we have since seen barbarity after barbarity.

      Gaddafy brought more development to his country and Africa more than any other leader. Gaddafy was No. 1.

      But if you turn into an Oppressor, every good thing you have done risks going up in flames – like Libya today.

    • Deyda Haidara

      Malang for once I agree with you half way. You see Abdoulaye Wade did 1000 times more development in Senegal than Yaya’s 22 years but yet Senegalese sent him packing in year 2012- Malang it is like the heart and the mind in a human body, if one dis-fonctions the whole man becomes impeded.
      Freedom is as important as infrastructure, so if one think that freedom is not important you are making a tragic mistake that can lead to civil war.

  4. @Deyda…”Our DEAD Heroes lives will not go in vain. NEVER.”

    Indeed, lives are too precious to be lost in vain, but only time will tell whether the “prices paid” have been worth the gains made..

    In the meantime, all we can do is pray and hope that we are not re-living an all too familiar nightmare: that of Dr Janneh and Co.

    • Deyda Haidara

      Bax, Ousseynou Darboe and Co are not Dr. Janneh and Co. You are comparing apples and bananas; Lawyer Ousseynou Mandela Darboe is a party leader that always comes in second in all the elections. Ousseynou Darboe is an international personality affliated to the Socialist International. Since the incidents, the US, UK, EU, SI and ECOWAS all express concerns and will not let monster Jammeh go away with this one. Bax, Solo Biko Sandeng live and Co. are more more honorable and meaningful today than your live and mine. UDP and the majority of the Gambian people are on full alert and can STRIKE anytime of course we are not expecting you, PDOIS and Halifa to participate but we will free the Gambia for you.

      • Luntango Suun Gann Gi

        Bax, DH said:

        “Ousseynou Darboe and Co are not Dr. Janneh and Co. You are comparing apples and bananas”

        That needs to be repeated again:

        “Ousseynou Darboe and Co are not Dr. Janneh and Co. You are comparing apples and bananas”

        Maybe once more:

        “Ousseynou Darboe and Co are not Dr. Janneh and Co. You are comparing apples and bananas”

        • Deyda Haidara

          LOL! Luntango, stop appeasing the brotherly fire Bax is very sensitive lol!
          The truth is the truth and no alteration can change it. Lol!

    • Luntango Suun Gann Gi

      Bax Bro, you worry me.

      Halifa and I had a massive ding-dong on Maafanta some years back, and yet when Halifa stood tall against the “Witch-craft Hunting”, I recognized that as Halifa’s finest hour, wrote a Front-Page supporting Halifa for Daily News, wrote to our PM and contacted Amnesty International in the middle of the night. Amnesty’s Report on Hailfa’s detention was released at mid-night and our HERO was freed from Mile 2 by 2p.m. that afternoon.

      Bax, why do you find it difficult to see in this moment HEROIC Darboe’s finest hour?

      • I recognise the heroics of Lawyer Darboe, Solo Sandeng and all those who came out with them. Mr only concern is the double standards in play. I have stated that it is right that Lawyer Darboe receives the recognition he is receiving, but we must not forget that others have also played their parts..

  5. Brother Deyda….

    I am NOT comparing…Just pointing out a historical fact…I hope The Gambians, especially those who have been agitating for demonstration, will not let Lawyer Darboe and Co down, because it will be a tragedy for us all…

    There is no harm in calling Lawyer Darboe,”the Mandela” of The Gambia, or Solo Sandeng, “the Steve Biko” of The Gambia…Both men and those who came out with them have shown great courage; the sort of courage shown by the South African duo..

    The problem is whether they have the same type of masses behind them, as Mandela and Biko had in South Africa, to achieve the maximum outcomes from their sacrifices, because without the masses, no heroes can achieve victory against a formidable opponent like an entrenched dictatorship ..

    The future will tell as events continue to unfold in The Gambia, but I am encouraged by your assurance that the “UDP and majority of Gambians…..” can strike anytime…Gambians need to strike to end this madness..

    Deyda, I think it is right that Lawyer Darboe and his Co defendants get the publicity that is given to them and pledges of support for the UDP, at least in the diaspora communities, but I think people have very short memories or they chose to.

    Halifa had also done his bit when senior and most vulnerable adults were abducted for being witches, detained unlawfully, tortured and given poisonous concoctions, resulting to some deaths and mentally related illnesses…We remember his arrest, detention, and prosecution for “espionage”, amongst other charges…I don’t think any opposition leaders got blamed for not standing up in support of Mr Sallah, on that occasion…

    So he is not a man who will not be ready to sacrifice when the need arises and just because he did not receive the kind of support and publicity we see today, does not mean that the cause was irrelevant or that the people he stood for, were less deserving of his support..Let’s bear that in mind and not pretend otherwise..

    At this point, I think we should concentrate efforts on what binds us together, as the opposition, rather than be divisive and dismissive of each other’s efforts..

    • Deyda Haidara

      Great my brother Bax, now we can discuss without prejudice. Firstly the secret witch society, the Bar association, the Press association, the Transport union are all societies visible or invisible and should fight for their cause openly and publicly and call for public support. So if Halifa comes to a rescue of the invisible one “LOL” he is looking for votes. LOL.
      UDP and Lawyer Mandela Darboe’s fight is about electoral reforms that benefits ALL and SUNDRY including the electorate and political parties. This fight therefore is not for a specific section of the nation, it is for the Gambia’s democratic process that affects the lives of each and everyone of us. This graduates Him and Solo to the sobriquets of Biko and Mandela.
      Secondly always bear in mind that the majority of citizens are not party militants but are voters in waiting and are closely watching the political environment. The masses mostly react on economic and financial hardships and as you know the Gambia’s economy has reached a point were survival becomes a nightmare. This will be the most determining factor that will make them go in the street and demand that the dictator who enjoys life ALONE should now vacate since he is not working for the public interest. If you study the Burkinabe history, you will see that this is exactly what happened and after 27 years of Blaise’s selfishness and brutality, the masses finally sent him running for his life.
      As you rightly said, we are all in this together and should close ranks to accelerate the downfall of our chief witch hunter.

  6. Hydara , you will never convince Bax . His brain is not control by him but it is control by pdois .it is like a dead wood in the river being flood by the waves . When he blamed the protesters is that day I finally knew he is unpatriotic . Don’t trust him for half a second .

  7. @DH…”UDP and Lawyer Mandela Darboe’s fight is about electoral reforms that benefits ALL and SUNDRY including the electorate and political parties….”

    Comment…I understand that people have a right to express support for whoever they choose and to approach issues from perspectives that reflect their leanings (and I respect this), but I do not quite agree with your statement above for two reasons :

    1. (a)…the demonstration that came out on Thursday 14th was the only one that demanded ELECTORAL REFORM and it was carried out by a cross party group of youths, and this was confirmed by Lawyer Darboe, in his press conference. We can assume that this group comprised members of.all opposition parties,

    (b)…the peaceful procession that lawyer Darboe led ( wrongly called “demonstration”), was not demanding electoral reform, but the release of arrested demonstrators, including Solo Sandeng, dead or alive, as far as I know.

    It is therefore erroneous to attribute the demonstration for electoral reform to only the UDP and to call a peaceful procession a demonstration…Lawyer Darboe asked and led an orderly, peaceful, law abiding procession that was disrupted by state sponsored thugs.

    2…My second reason deals with.the actions of both the 14th & 15th groups, which in my view, fall under the demands for the state to respect FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS…Fundamental Rights, in my view, is a broad term under which many specific rights fall…

    The rights to :- “peaceful assembly “, “free and fair elections”, “respect for human dignity:, “protection from degrading and inhuman treatment “, etc. all come.under “fundamental rights”…

    I think that the demonstration held on the 14th April, the procession held on 15th April and Halifa’s individual intervention during the witch hunting, all fall under the demand for the state to respect FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS..

    Of course, the situations were different and the risks faced were also significantly different, but nonetheless, the efforts were geared towards the same end and that is why I think it is wrong to vilify Mr Sallah whilst praising the 14th & 15th groups.

    We must recognise any effort for The Gambia, regardless of where it came from, and it is for this reason that I think Mr Sallah, Lawyer Darboe, Solo Sandeng and all those who came out with them deserve our praise…and nothing less..

    What we should avoid is to attribute political gains as reasons for.one effort, whilst not doing the same with another…I think it is grossly unfair to remark that Halifa’s intervention was to get votes, whilst an effort that is so close to elections, does not attract the same remarks..

    I don’t think personal or party gains will be uppermost in the minds of those who take the concious decision to confront the Jammeh terror machine…

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