Michael Scales On April 10 Student Killings!!!

Dear Mr.Editor,

 Looking back to the first time I set foot in The Gambia on the 7th April 2000. I recall my guide asking me to pay the usual toll of £2 to each outstretched hand at Banjul International Airport, in order to effect a speedy and trouble free passage through to the car park. Small scale corruption which did not disturb me, but served as a prelude to the immense "culture shock" that was apparent. Making it to the yellow taxi and after negotiating the fare, we set off towards Banjul. My guide was adamant that in The Gambia "you are not allowed to criticize." I remember thinking ..this is a third world country and perhaps it is an affront to their dignity to highlight the appalling difference in living conditions here, compared to England. O.K. I thought," when in Rome do as the Romans do".

Throughout my life from a young age, I was always fascinated by 'The African."As a child I went to the Saturday afternoon movies where "Tarzen and the apes" depicted a savage people dressed in leotards made of tiger skin throwing spears and eating people, especially the unfortunate whitemen. As with most Hollywood creations of the time, the red Indian or the African were portrayed as savages and the westerner as the good guys come to civilize the indigenous population. One of the first movies that I remember was

 "Sanders of the River"

with much acclaim given at the time to the Black negro actor and baritone Paul Robeson.

Though he was very much a supporting actor, he did for the first time, portray The African as a Human being with a cultural intelligence that defied all other notions on the big screen, that The African was sub human. Later on as the cinema changed, and such portrayals were Judged as discriminatory, The movies "Zulu," and "Dances with Wolves" and my favourite, "The Last of the Mohicans," painted a much more sympathetic picture of the rich culture of both the African and the Red Indian and the Honour towards their perception of being even more "human" than the whitemen and that in fact it was always the whitemen that were the villains and the inhuman species and that we had destroyed the rich culture of Africa and North America.

I explain this perception only to understand that when I entered Africa for the first time, My mind was totally 'virgin" as to how I would view The African.

Certainly, when on the 9th April 2000, I was given a 'Party" in my honour at my sponsors house, I was further fascinated by the toleration of the different religion of the guests invited.

Outside the house sat the muslim guests drinking soft drinks and enjoying the sumptuous barbecue and inside the house we Christians were sipping alcohol and dancing like fools to loud African music. I mingled with both and found much respect given to the small talk that went on. Apart from the incredible humidity and heat and the Mosquitoes that zipped past my ears....I can honestly say, I was impressed by the good humour and dignity of all concerned in the mix. I was relaxed and lost my fear of this strange land and the Africans that were its inhabitants. I was intoxicated by the new and strange aroma's and the rhythm of the local music. I felt a warmth inside that explains why so many British people return to The Gambia time and time again.

It therefore follows that the events of April 10th and 11th 2000 came as a rude awakening to me. That The Gambia can be a very dangerous place, when the peace is disturbed. The "Vivid" account that I gave of April 10th sits under "Freedoms Banner" on Blogger news

simply by keying in 'Michael Scales" This was an abbreviated account.

I have read many other accounts of that day which give alternating views as to what happened and why. Some of these views are distorted, perhaps by time or perhaps by predjudice.But the events of that day were not peaceful. Not "peaceful" at all.

What is key to my evidence is the time of day....? The first sign of trouble was at precisely 9.30 am as we entered Kairiba Ave on route by taxi to Banjul to meet The Mayor at 10am.

The smoke in the distance was from the vicinity of The American Embassy.The blood that splashed the windscreen came from a young boy being beaten by soldiers on the back of an open lorry.Their were 4 or 5 soldiers surrounding the boy in a white shirt that was covered in blood. As we drew closer to the embassy the vision to the front was obscured by blood on the windscreen as the wipers were struggling to clear it. It was congealing with the heat of the day and the wipers were stuttering. I recall time seemed to be suspended and every thing moved in slow motion. We veered off the road sharp left as we approached the crowd at the embassy. As we did so I witnessed a young soldier isolated from his comrades who was holding his rifle up to his shoulder as if to take aim....but out numbered and cornered he fell to the ground and began to pray to Allah. He was taking a terrible pounding from stones. Their were around 2 to 3 hundred students. boys mainly but some girls too who were throwing stones at the young soldier. A car was over turned and was on fire. My window was open and I could hear loud voices raised in anger like a throng and glass breaking. Clearly everything in the path of the students was being destroyed. It was carnage, frenzy and mayhem.

As we made our way to the compound, just off the Jimpex road in Kanifing, the noise of gun fire was all around and very close. Their was rapid firing at times and then single shots. Another sound was like a thump. I later saw a rubber bullet lodged next to a tree just off the Jimpex road near Gambia Electrical. The sound of gun fire persisted throughout the day until mid afternoon. Their was also the noise of many voices in chorus, like a football crowd as it cascades across the sky. Sometime it felt very close by. Other times it was in the distance. Then their was periods of silence and then the occasional shot punctured the air.

I have been scared many times in my life. I have been in a car in the dead of night as it turned over and sparks flew all around as we slid on our side for 100 yards. Yet we walked away unscathed. I have been in fights as a youth when carnage broke loose in a dance hall.

But I have never tasted fear as extreme as I tasted that day. I was visibly shaking and could hardly walk. As Humans we do possess fear and can sense fear. Their was something about that fear, that day, that is difficult to describe. You could smell it you could almost touch it.

Inside their was fear that vibrated and could not be pushed away. I have never felt anything so strong or would want to feel it again.

At precisely 10 minutes to 3 p.m. we crossed the Jimpex road on route to an appointment.

Young boys and girls were working at throwing stones onto the road to build a barricade.

I was impressed as they were all working together quickly and with cohesion. To the right their were a line of soldiers and policemen and women holding rifles. The young boy apologized to me for the inconvenience whilst holding a rather large and fearsome machete.

The young girls were behind throwing more stones onto the road.

At 10 P.M. we were stopped on the Denton Bridge by a young soldier who shone a torch into my face and a machine gun which sat about three inches from the side of my head.

For a brief moment which seemed like forever....he was screaming in worlof at my fellow occupants who were screaming back. I think by then I was so resigned to death by over whelming fear that I was motionless, surrendered to whatever was to happen and strangely, didn't care. I think the human can take on fear and surrender and by prepared to die as a reasonable outcome and conclusion. It has always fascinated me why so many millions of soldiers left the comparative security of the trenches in The First World War to face a certain death by shrapnel or machine gun. This resignation that I felt that night, must be very close to the feelings of the soldier in the trenches whose fate is assured and sealed.

What is very apparent to me, is the driving force behind the events of April 10th and 11th was fear. The Gambian Army was never trained to deal with this onslaught neither was the students fear of facing machine guns evident when such mayhem and frenzy was unleashed by concerted numbers of fellow students. All were too brave, all were overcoming their personal fear and all were out of control.

Myself I see no difference in the "young boys" of the First world war who faced death with no remorse than the students of April 10th who were placed in the firing line as events spun out of control. Such fear is very personal. It is a so personal it overtakes reason and rational.

The failure here was by those who engaged this uprising and those who did not have the leadership and training to suppress it with the minimum of force required.

The ultimate responsibility of government, should be placed to the consideration of an independent court or tribunal with the power to apportion blame and punishment. Myself, I don't know if by raising a tribunal with full and frank disclosure ever produces a lasting framework to prevent such events to happen again. But what they do give is some respect to the dead and the living and the opportunity to release the grief of the nation and the people. This is why the present situation is so inconclusive and will never allow the dead to rest in peace or the living to live with their, remorseless grief.

I live with this as a survivor. Their are many others closer connected to these events that are not living too well with the present situation. The Gambian nation deserves some closure to these events. The Gambian government owes a debt to so many children that were lost and to their mothers and fathers and the widow of Omar Barrow.{ Stop Shooting the children !!!}As long as I live I will not forget them.

 I remain Michael ..U.K.