By Sulayman Waan
Abdou Karim Jammeh, a survived victim of April 10th-11th where 14 Gambian students were killed by the Gambian police officers and soldiers on 10th and 11th April 2000 at a student protest has slammed Gambian leader Adama Barrow for neglecting him and other colleagues.
The victim retorted on the incidents – the beating to death of secondary school student Ebrima Barry by firefighters, and the rape of a 13-year-old girl by a uniformed police officer – and the lack of investigation of both of those incidents.
“On that day Gambian security men opened fire on school going children, killed 16 people including 14 students, one journalist, a three year-old child, leaving many other students injured including myself,” Abdou Karim Jammeh survivor of the tragedy explained in an interview. He continued that today (Wednesday) The Gambia is commemorating the 19 years of the unfortunate incident in a form of a March pass.
Jammeh, blamed President Adama Barrow for neglecting the victims, pointing out that the Gambian leader has failed to fulfill his promises made to victims in 2017. “President Barrow promised to take good care of us when we were with him in Dakar, Senegal but since our returned to The Gambia nothing had happen. We did not get the support from him (President Barrow). Even to meet him is a problem,” he said.
He added that “the only occasion we met him was when the German President visited the Gambia. On that day President Barrow called us and said he wanted to see us. We asked for the reason but he said the German President wants to see us.” The survivor narrated that about twenty- five victims had the chance to speak before the German Head of State during his visit to The Gambia in 2018.
But, according to him, it was not a proper meeting but a tactic of President Barrow to show the German leader that he is caring for the victims of April 10-11. “I said it was not a proper meeting because it was not the right forum where we should lay our complaint.
The victims are yet to see the new dispensation that the coalition team promised during their campaign for the 2016 Presidential election. We are telling government to visit the victim center to know the problem of the victims because the President had promised us, three years on yet we could not have chance to meet him,” he lamented.
He went on that those victims of April 10 and 11 senses that President Barrow had betrayed them because they contributed in his victory during the 2016 Presidential election as they voted for him and convince their families to cast their votes for him as well. Mr. Jammeh called on Government to compensate the April 10-11 victims in the form of recognition and monetary but he was quick to add that oversea treatment is their principal concern.
