The Gambia’s Chief of Defense Staff has been accused of protecting some of ousted President Yahya Jammeh’s “bad boys with dirty hands” from facing prosecution. Lt. General Ousman Badjie has decided to approve Jammeh’s killer squad members for United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur.
“CDS has already approved these former Jungulars who helped Yahya Jammeh commit gross violations of human rights in the Gambia,” our military sources confirmed. All our sources wonder why these “bunch of heartless torturers and killers would be considered for Darfur mission when the army boasts of having clean hands. We believe he (CDS Badjie) is only trying to create an escape route for WO 1 Alieu Jeng, personal body guard to the former Vice President Isatou Njie-Saidy; former State Guards, Amadou Badjie nicknamed Chairman, W02 Jallow (Janino) and Staff Sergeant Lamin Badjie.”
These soldiers, who are expected to begin the Darfur mission in end of February, have carried out “tortures and extra-judicial killings for Yahya Jammeh. These are the worst killers who remain under cover,” our sources said.
Lt. General Badjie’s recent high-handed actions have raised eyebrows of many Gambians who begin to question his constitutional limitations. Apart from promoting some soldiers to officer levels (a right set aside for the Commander in Chief Adama Barrow), CDS is slso accused of ordering his men to arrest, detain and physically detain an apprentice driver “for insulting his (Badjie’s mother).
“The so-called CDS Badjie is evidently overstepping his boundaries. Although he denies grappling with psychiatric issues but his behaviour seems to be in conformity with a mentally imbalanced person,” one military source said. “Here is a man who lacks respect among his subordinates. His loose talks about everything, including his private marital business, have become unbecoming.”
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General Badgie should be fired and replaced as soon as possible. Gambia need a professional military leadership which will respect human rights and civil liberties of citizens. Mr Badgie has proven to be unprofessional sometimes and his conduct is not a role model of professional military leader . General Badgie must go .