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UNITED DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Four Killed New Years Day In The Gambia!!!!

….ASP Secka Blames the Stampede to Crowd Disorderliness

By Staff Reporter Karafa Badjie and Fatou Barry Banjul

Four people were confirmed dead on New Years day in The Gambia, police spokesman Sulayman Secka tells the Freedom Newspaper. The police image maker said the victims were killed during a concert stampede held in Banjul. Assistant Superintendent Secka says three of the dead were ladies, one whom was a Sierra Leonean refugee. Secka blames the incident to a disorderly crowd. He said investigations are underway to gather more evidence as to what must have triggered the stampede. “ Our men are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Out of the three ladies killed, one was from Sierra Leone.”he said.

A jubilant crowd converged in Banjul on Wednesday night to commemorate the new year. A free concert was at the time in progress. Thousands of people could be seen dancing and drinking on new years eve. The four causalities, whose identities are yet to be established died during the bloody stampede, the police spokesman told the Freedom Newspaper during a brief interview. ASP Secka said he could not confirm if poor security was responsible for the incident, but was hasten to add that the crowd was disorderly. Secka expressed shock about the demise of the four individuals. He said the office of the Inspector General of police was not only outraged by the incident, but totally devastated.

An autopsy report is expected to be released to the families of the bereaved in the next few days. ASP Secka had earlier appeared on The Gambia Radio and Television services to announce the demise of the four new year concert spectators.

Local observers blame the police for failing to deploy enough men to control the crowd. The observers warn that if such a trend continues, more would die in the future due to stampede related incidents. The observers also expressed the need for The Gambia police Force-most importantly the paramilitary to be trained on crowd control. The officers said the observers, are inexperienced to control violent crowds. They call on the IGP to use his offices to provide crowd control training for his men. This, they observe would go a long way in averting future stampedes.

New York, U.S.A. Branch

P.O.Box 500

Bronx, NY 10453

Email: udp_nyc@yahoo.com

January 1st, 2009

UDP/NYC New Year Message:

UDP wishes to take this opportunity to wish all Gambians and friends of The Gambia a happy 2009 year.

Year 2008 has been a difficult year for Gambians who believe in democracy and the rule of law. Through out the year 2008 President Jammeh and his regime continuously went on undermining the Constitution by ordering the arrest and disappearance of opponents of his regime like Kanyiba Kanyi a supporter of the UDP and employee of CCF who was arrested on September 18^th, 2006 and the same applied to Journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh of the Daily Observer who was also arrested on July 7^th 2006 by officers of the NIA one of them by the name Corporal Sey, since then they are kept incommunicado.

On June 5th, 2007, Hon. Justice Ms Sanji M. Monageng of the High Court of The Gambia ordered;

The Director General of the National intelligence Agency, the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General to produce the body of Mr. Kanyiba Kanyi to Court on June 7th, 2007 but it is a well known fact that the APRC Government has less regard for the Constitution when it's against the regime.

The year 2008, witnessed a serious hostility on the Gambia Judiciary system by the summary dismissal of high Court Judges Mr. B.Y. Camara and Haddy Roche for intimidation purpose.

The year 2008, witnessed the revelation of a rampant corruption scandal at the Gambian Embassy in Washington DC and to date neither the Auditor General nor the Accountant General has issued a word concerning the allegation and no action has been taken. Gambians are waiting to see the Gambian Embassy in Washington DC audited and the report be made public, in the absence of that one would be left to believe that the allegation is positive therefore, concerned International Financial Institutions would be inform and urge to take necessary and appropriate actions against the Gambian government hence they believe in accountability.

After the allegation, Gambians expected the concerned officer Mr. Lamin Sanyang to be move from his financial responsibility to a different function in order to restore confident and credibility in the Embassy but that has not happened Mr. Sanyang is still in charge of the financial matters of the Gambian Embassy and no audit exercise has been conducted.

In the history of The Gambia, year 2008 on August 15, a joint United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was launched to investigate the Gambian Government for alleged massacre of 50 West African Nationals and the investigation is in progress. Gambian Government is expected to be honest to Gambians and inform them about the stage of the investigation.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, once said "The abandonment-even the postponement-of the process of justice is an affront to those who obey the law and a betrayal of those who rely on the law for their protection; it is a call for the use of force in revenge and, therefore, a bankruptcy of peace."

We wish all a happy new year.

Signed:

UDP Secretariat.