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Gambia: I Know Nothing About

It is almost one year since Sergeant Buba Jammeh, Sergeant Buba Mendy and Private Yahya Bajinka of The Gambia National Army were arrested and they are presently reported to be in the Central Prison, Mile II. These soldiers have since not been brought before any court of law. They are being detained more than is constitutionally required.

When this reporter contacted the GAF Spokesperson, Lt. Alhagie Sanneh, and asked him why these soldiers are still detained and why they were arrested, Lt. Sanneh said the three soldiers were arrested when he was on a mission abroad. He claimed to learn of their arrests from the newspapers. He said he was never briefed by either his predecessors nor his superiors. He said the issue of these detainees is not commonly discussed among soldiers. When I asked him if he could contact the PRO to find out from his superiors and enquire what is the fate of these soldiers, in his position as the Public Relation Officer, and for the sake of justice and human rights, Sanneh said since he was never briefed on the matter; he also feels it is not his business to enquire. He noted that he doesn't know Private Yaya Bajinka. He said that for the two Sergeants, they were reported by the Daily Observer newspaper as informers of Pa Nderry Mbai's online paper. He said their matter is not connected to the Army as far as his knowledge about them is concerned.