Major Wassa Camara of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) on Wednesday admitted before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) how soldiers, who were positioned at Janjanbureh and Brikama-ba at the time of the demo, effected arrests, tortured and even opened fire on students who were demonstrating on April 11, 2000.
Major Camara clarified that the men he came with never opened fire on demonstrating students.
Further recalling events on the ill-fated day of April 11 2000, Major Camara said that at the time of the demonstration he was the Officer Commanding (OC) at Kudang Barracks, saying in the morning of April 10, he received phone call from Commanding Officer (CO) Baboucarr Keita of the Second Infantry Battalion – and the Army commander that there was a student demo in the offing and that they should be on standby.
He further informed the commissioners that the soldiers were told what was happening so that they would be put in the picture and stay alert.
He revealed that the students, who planned to demonstrate didn’t have any weapons in their hands.
At this juncture, the lead counsel Essa Faal showed him a press release he wrote indicating that the students were armed with weapons and he admitted.
“I was informed that students at Janjanbureh were out on the streets. We went there and we were armed with our rifles and this kind of situation we are taught not to use rifles on students who are only carrying stones.”
There was no order of operation made at the time of the incident, he added.
At this moment, Essa Faal, the lead counsel showed him another document that indicated the operational orders in which he accepted after confirming.
He explained that they found out that the demonstrating students wanted to set fire to the Janjanbureh market and break into the prison, but his men conducted double patrol of a group of eight.
He added that he stayed behind with the other soldiers at their base. After a while, he explained that Cpt. Baboucarr Keita came with a reinforcement team and they stopped the students.
“We brought all the students on board at the basketball pitch at Armitage School by effecting arrest on them. We addressed them and I reminded that them that they are the future leaders and anything they spoil will put them into trouble. We kept them there to maintain peace and order because they wanted to attack the market.”
At that juncture, the counsel- Essa Faal read a statement indicating that the students were beaten, which the witness, said he was not aware of.
After Janjanbureh, the witness indicated that they proceeded to Bansang, where he saw stones around the roadside and later realized that the students were planning demonstration.
He added that upon arrival in Bansang, his team proceeded to secure the television antenna in the town, while he went to the police station.
“On my way to the police station, I saw a police officer beating a student and I asked him to stop because if it was his brother he wouldn’t. I then patrolled inside the town and met CID officer Darboe, who informed me that someone was killed at Brikama ba and that some elders were carrying local riffles. I went there and I found some soldiers and I spoke to the Station Officer, who informed me that the students were throwing stones at the police station.
“I then continued to the Alkalo’s residence and told him to tell his people to stop what they are doing because The Gambia is small for such.”
Major Camara further disclosed that one Baldeh, a Commanding Officer at Basse Barracks and his team were also on the ground in Brikama at the timeof the incident, saying he and Baldeh ordered the arrest of students, who were demonstrating on streets.
He confirmed to the commissioners that soldiers were torturing the students, adding that they stopped the torturing by ordering Lt. Samba Bah to move with his men.
Lead Counsel Essa Faal further put to the witness whether he knew about the death of people at Brikama ba, but the witness indicated that he was only aware of one casualty.
The lead counsel Essa Faal further read a statement indicating that a soldier admitted that he fired at the students and the witness replied that it could be true.
Major Camara is expected before the commission again when members of the defunct National Intelligence Agency appear before the commission.
