A key political activist of the United Democratic Party who was arrested on Thursday had been reportedly killed by Gambian security. Solo Sandeng, the newly elected Organising Secretary of the UDP, was tortured to death. His arrest and detention resulted on Thursday April 14th when he and more than a dozen youths held a peaceful protest at Westfield, demanding electoral reforms ahead of the December 2016 elections.
Neither the UDP leadership, nor the family of Mr. Sandeng confirmed the death.
Solo, vibrant youth leader of the UDP for many years, will be remembered for his undivided love of his country, bravery and commitment to ensure that change takes place. His tragic news came two months after the death in custody of Sheriff Dibba, the Secretary General of Gambia National Transport Control Association. Mr. Dibba’s death also resulted from tortures he had gone through.
The onus now lies on Gambian government to prove that Solo Sandeng is alive.
Several other peaceful protesters who were arrested included the following UDP executive members: Fatoumata Jawara (Female Youth President), Fatou Camara, (Constituency Women’s Leader), Nokoi Njie (2nd Vice President of the Women’s Wing) and Lang Marong (Deputy Campaign Manager).
The more than a dozen arrested protesters were held in Mile 2 Central Prisons before being moved to the National Intelligence Agency for interrogation. They were tortured, with some of them, including Fatoumata Jawara, nursing injuries.
The Gambia government’s high-handed behaviour and disrespect for the constitution and the rule of law was the main reason why the UDP executive took to the streets.
Since July 1994 when a group of rag-tag soldiers overthrew the democratically elected government of Sir Dawda Jawara, Gambians have not known peace. The coup that gave birth to Yahya Jammeh opened the doors of Hell for Gambians, who have either been extra-judicial executed, tortured to death, disappeared or fled into exile. Yahya Jammeh has been feeding on innocent Gambian blood.
425 296 7187
Ends
This is a NATIONAL DISASTER. God Bless The Gambia.
Jammeh must be killed or removed by any means necessary . Jammeh is totally responsible for killing of solo . Please contribute to https://www.gofundme.com/shzernz4
UDP must be supported because they are the only one who can truly bring change in the country . We must support UDP for its courageous stand to fight dictatorship . Jammeh must be go .
Please call your family home and ask them to join the protesters . Jammeh must go .
Solo sandeng is a national hero who will be remembered as Nelson Mandela of the UDP and The Gambia . Mr sandeng has shown us he Truly believed in freedom of speech , assembly and democracy and rule of law . We will continue to fight until this tyrant is no more seem in our country . Jammeh must be killed or removed by any means . This is the year we end tyranity in our country . Rest in peace solo . We must continue the fight you believe in . Your blessed efforts must come to fruition . Thank you for standing up for the country . You are really a patriotic son who will be honored in decent and fitting way .
As the death is not yet confirmed, I am hoping and praying that it is a false alarm.. Nobody should be arrested for staging a peaceful demonstration, let alone, be feared dead in Police custody…Keep us informed…
In the mean time, our thoughts should be with all those who are directly affected by the disturbances….We should pray for them and for the nation, for a speedy resolution to this crisis..
Bax, you are indeed confused. Who is going to confirm death for you. While this is going on, your party and its leadership have once again shown its true color. Patriotic Gambians will continue to fight what we believe in while your party can step aside and release a irrelevant press release. Instead of join forces with UDP, all these smaller parties can do is to inform us they were not inform by UDP and they will have to wait until Monday to meet and discuss what they are going to do. What a disgraceful leadership. People have already lost their lives. These protesters are fighting for everybody regardless of the party but again these timid leaders have demonstrated their true color. If UDP has true partnership with other parties, Jammeh would have been gone. It is clear to everybody except the hypocrites that UDP is the only party which has the gut and support to bring change. We should give our support to them. Long live UDP and long live The Gambia. We stand by you all the way and the tyrant must be gone.
Max…
I was only going by what was reported : that nether the UDP, nor his family can confirm his death…So why are you accusing me of being confused…If anyone is confused, it is the story writer; not me…
Again, I will say that you are entitled to your opinion, but you have no monopoly over the truth.. I think the wisdom of the actions of Thursday 14th and the events that followed, will be established as the days go by, and the outcomes are assessed and gauged…
Today, Jollofnews is reporting that normalcy has almost returned to The Gambia and people are going about their lives, as if nothing has happened…
But something has happened…A vibrant and promising young man is reported DEAD; others are said to be in life threatening coma; still others are nursing the pain and humiliation of physical torture; whilst fathers and husbands are held in detention…
Yet, apart from half hearted shows of solidarity, the country has returned to “normalcy” and the atmosphere on the ground, though tense, seems muted and subdued..
There is absolutely no doubt that Solo Sandeng and the youths who gathered at the West Field Junction acted with BRAVERY …
There is also no doubt that Ousainou Darboe and his executive acted with BRAVERY…But very serious questions have to be asked when the time is right..
For now, all I can say is that it may very well be, that the other opposition leaders who are being castigated for “inaction”, will provide the catalyst for the power that is required to confront Yaya Jammeh…
April 14th may be the beginning of events of far reaching consequences on The Gambia ‘s political scene, but it is only those who are in control of the events who will make a difference…
Those who are controlled by the events will only be reacting to situations, as they unfold, without any direction and sensibly achievable objectives, and be at the mercy of brutal forces that know no restraint..
The hypocrites are those who have agitated for confrontation but now that the man they have always singled out for redicule and insult has led his people onto the streets, none of them are willing to sacrifice and join him. They are still shamelessly typing behind their key boards and chatting rubbish in their studios…What a bunch of hypocrites and cowards..
How dare you question the resolve of those who are meeting on the ground, to study the situation and collectively respond to what is obviously, a very messy and poorly planned mass action…? Shame on you all…
Bax , it is shameful and an outright unpatriotic to call geniune efforts of those who have sacrificed their lives for The Gambia as ” a very messy and poorly planned mass actions “. You should be ashamed of yourself . What a despicable statement you stated in your myopic and ignorance mind . Some of us who you consider as coward has far more respect and genuine interest to rescue Gambia from military dictatorship . Where in the world do you see any actions without consequences ? These protesters are brave citizens who knew the consequences of what they attempted . It was their constitutional rights to call for electoral reforms and the process ,if this Barstad and evil dictator killed some of them , why do you have to criticise their efforts and considered as poorly planned mass actions . what is better plan in your silly mind that you think these people should do better than carrying a flag and banner which stated ” we want electoral reforms ” ? Is there any damn plan which is prefect without consequences ? Sitting in your little apartment and trying to call these people efforts as poorly planned mass action is hypocritical .
Mr sallah and pdois should have demonstrated leadership and call out their supporters to Join forces with UDP . This is what true leaders will do but not to say we are going to discuss and act later .
I know in advance, that the emotional nature of this event will be used to stifle genuine debate, and anyone who asks a genuine question will be accused of insensitivity…That is why I am exercising care here..
I did not criticise the demonstrators, as you claim..Just pointed out the reality, because I live in the “real” world; not in your “dream” world..
I am not a cyber warrior and I no longer take cyber warriors seriously…. Abandon your key boards now and book your flights to join Lawyer Darboe, or forever, be exposed as hypocrites…
I believe those who are in touch with reality and one.of them is Henry Gomez, who said on Freedom Radio that those who know Halifa Sallah (and he is one of them) will know that Mr Sallah has been deeply touched by the events unfolding in The Gambia…
You are clueless and ignorant if you are to get the words of a man who was just recently accused of tribal sentiment . I read your mind set because you get your facts from those who are tribalist to the core. Henry Gomez is one of those stupid politicians who no decent Gambian should listen to, so I am not surprised to hear you quote such a bigot. There is no geniune efforts you will support as long as it is not a plan devise by your almighty mr sallah. What an ignorant mind set and mental slavery you have. Why can’t you use your damn brain and think for yourself but have to rely on idiot to state your position. Gambian people know those who are genuinely interested to salvage the country. We are damn tired of you and your party’s self-righteous belief.
This son of a bich President must go..he has lost his mind indeed..he is a low class .mother fucker…rise up Gambia
The Gambians should take the bull by the horn. If this is supposed to be true, the youths and every patriotic Gambian should attack jammeh’s business interests and set it on fire. This ras claad knows nothing but confrontation head on.
In any struggle against dictatorship & inhumanity including our very own, though lamentably regretful, martyrs’ sacrifices aren’t unavoidable……
This is indeed another very sad national tragedy which no words can express; Murderous kanilai DEVIL yaya jammeh has grown into an ogre over the period who knows there lies nothing for it beyond the FIEFDOM; together with the murderous mercenary cohorts, servants & elements will try to eliminate as many of us as they possibly could before our inevitable liberty which is just round the corner…..
The world stands by our gallant compatriots in the forefront of the liberation struggle; the path to glory may be gloomy, rough & bloody; but victory is inevitably ensured in the end no matter how many of us are persecuted, kidnapped, disappeared or murdered…..
May his soul rest in peace. As a Gambian I am sick about our Government attitude towards its own citizens. We have right to peaceful expression, but I ask the international community to do something now before too late
My in-law Bax, when revolution is taking place mere philosophers must stand aside. You said: ” I know in advance, that the emotional nature of this event will be used to stifle genuine debate”.
“Emotional nature … stifle debate” is rather disrespectful to those who have lost loved ones and others who rightfully feel emotional about the event.
Rather late in the day, your Comrade Guru Halifa’s Foroyaa asks today: “Where is Solo Sandeng?”!!!!!!!!!!!! I recall a similarly opaque question from Foroyaa when Koro Ceesay was killed.
41 years ago, J M Kariuki was butchered by Jomo Kenyatta’s thugs – and the Daily Nation asked: “Where is J M?” … Kenyans who knew better were shocked and burnt copies of the Daily Nation and Kenyatta ran away to the port city of Mombasa ready to board a British navy ship should the nation rise up.
Foroyaa’s question is not necessary. the words of Lawyer Darboe as to the fate of Solo Sandeng (RiP) are enough.
I hope there is a revolution because The Gambia needs one, but it doesn’t look like it at the moment. Jammeh has come back home, held his usual airport press conference, said his bullshit and drove to Banjul without a single incident.
Unless another force erupts, the momentum set by the youths seems to be lost. It is only the cyber warriors who are giving that impression, but the situation on the ground has gone back to “normalcy”, according to reports from The Gambia.
As for Foroyaa headlines, you know very well that it is in keeping with tradition because they have often used the same question for disappeared people… “Where is Chief Manneh ?” “Where is Marcia Jammeh ?” “Where is Lawyer Darboe….?” “Where is Daba Marenah ?” This is standard Foroyaa reporting style and nothing should be read into it..
I see you have the same problem as Ggpam, thinking that my statement about the “emotional nature” refers to the demonstrators and hence, disrespectful. I can assure you that I was not referring to the demonstrators but the emotional feelings of anger and sadness felt by the people, as a result of what happened.
”Emotional nature of this event………………….” Who can sit down to write a hypocrite’s crap like this for anyone to think someone need know the art of fury. It is emotion behind the protests……….Isn’t it?? This is exactly what you should be saying.
People should be cold blooded like @Malang to come out and say, ‘yes, there are Gambians in for dictatorship and a citizens slaughter process in the Gambia.
Bax, PDOIS and it ideologies are naive and full of arrogane and distorting and cold blooded in nature. You think perhaps, one has to read everything to understand anything. Guys are just proving more and more that they are accomplices to a military coup in the Gambia and all the terror on innocent Gambians that followed it during the two decades. These events you referred to as emotional, are wheels we are riding on towards a democratic state of the Gambia.
Ggapm, Bax has no regard for the lives lost in The Gambia. He is a unpatriotic Gambian who wants the status quo to continue. Even Dida has condemned Jammeh’s human rights violations. Every right thinking has not asked the stupid question or opinion he stated here.
@Ggpam “These events you referred to as emotional,..”
“It is emotion behind the protest..” You seem to misunderstand what I said because I did not say what you said above..I am not referring to the demonstrators and event itself as “emotional”. I am referring to the feelings of sadness, anger etc. that the entire event (including the reaction of the security) evoke in the people, due to what happened to the demonstrators..
I will not describe people who put their safety and life at risk as being emotional. I have stated that they acted with BRAVERY and that they should not be arrested for peaceful demonstration, let alone be feared dead in Police custody.
It is important that we seek clarification if we have doubt in what someone is saying, rather than go on the offensive for nothing.
I realise I may not have framed that sentence properly. I apologise for any misunderstanding..
“I know in advance, that the emotional nature of this event will be used to stifle genuine debate, and anyone who asks a genuine question will be accused of insensitivity…That is why I am exercising care here.”.
“I realise I may not have framed that sentence properly. I apologise for any misunderstanding”.
Misunderstood!!! EH!!!, Just wonder when will Gambians ever understand these PDOIS pseudo-philosophers and their convoluted writings. When ever people are dealing with serious national crisis, one of you guys will prop out of the wood work, trying to either deflect attention or advancing spurious theories meant to dampen down the gravity of peoples outrage. This is a consistent pattern of behaviour.
Modou, your “consistent line of behaviour” observation is accepted by Bax as being PDOIS’s Modus Operandi: “This is standard Foroyaa reporting and nothing should be read into it”. To be fair to Foroyaa they did also once ask “Where is Dida Halake” but that question would have been in bad taste if everyone including Foroyaa knew that Dida Halake is already dead!!!
But of course Bax is right: this “standard Foroyaa reporting style” does make it safer for Halifa and Foroyaa – that is why they have not been shut-down even once in 22 years.