By: Adama Makasuba
Malang Fendi Sidiki Camara, Warrant Officer Class one of The Gambia National Army has described November 11 as the most unfortunate and darkest day in the Gambia National Army since its formation in 1985.
WO2 Camara, 49, told the truth commission while giving his own side of testimony about the 1994 November 11th mass execution of elements of officers and personnel in the Gambia National Army.
“November 11th was one of the darkest days in the Gambia National Army. The morale were actually very down, this was very disappointing. This was the day the military junta committed a very wrong doing,” he said.
Mr. Camara recalled that on November 10th, Yahya Jammeh rang the communication centre of Fajara Barracks and gave him order to relate it to his commanders to shoot at some soldiers if they forced themselves in to the barracks.
“I spoke to the chairman of AFPRC. He called around 8:30 and said are you people briefed, I said by who and he said by your guard commander. I said no and he said I will call back. Around 9:00 he called back and said fire at Lieutenant Dot Faal, Lt LF Jammeh, Alieu Joof, Sir Jakal, Bakary Manneh alias Nyancho, Alieu Bah, Benneh Minteh, Basiru Barrow, and EM Ceesay if they forced themselves in to the barracks,” he recalled.
Mr. Camara said he related the order to his guard commander on duty but couldn’t recalled his name to the commission, as he said they were having many guard commanders at the time from various units of the Army.
He told the commission that on the following day he and Captain Lawrence Jarra drove to Yundum Barracks at around 11 am and found the situation tense and chaotic while he saw Major Babucarr Jatta, Captain Denis Coker, and Captain Momodou Badjie.
He stated that the killings at Yundum barracks was ordered by Lieutenant Edward Singhateh
He said: “When we arrived at Yundum Barracks there was tense and chaotic. People were been arrested and striped off and the soldiers arrested were Sergeant Basiru Camara, EM Ceesay, Lieutenant Gibril Saye, Cadet Amadou Sillah, Kairaba Camara and Tamba.”
He continued “I was curious and climbed the truck; I saw two dead bodies of Lieutenant Basiru Barrow and Dot Faal but Dot Faal still not died because he was shaking. I saw EM Ceesay marching around the cook house and I heard gunshot.”
“I didn’t want to be used because when you stand with your rifle you will be ordered to kill and I didn’t want to be used,” he said.
