 |
|
| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Momodou
Denmark
11824 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Aug 2006 : 23:14:52
|
27 Young Gambians Sentenced Abroad
In Thies, Senegal, 27 young Gambians appeared before the regional tribunal on charge of clandestine immigration. Two of their accomplices who are being searched for by the police of Mbour could not be arraigned before the court to testify on what lured them to commit such a reprehensible and illegal act.
Only Morr Saho was held in detention for many days to answer the furious questions of the presiding judge. It was him who handed the keys of a building under construction at the Grand Mbour Street section to the accomplice, Gora Secka. In effect the 27 Gambians stayed therein for 36 hours after having paid the sum of 50,000 CFA francs, while awaiting their departure for Pablo Piciasso.
The aspirant voyagers disbursed a lot to the organisers of the voyage to avoid all forms of danger. Gora Seka and Mam Gorr Joof consciously laid down their plan, away from suspicious eyes. They had promised the young Gambians who were tempted by the mirage of Spain, that the voyage would be done without any danger in a well equipped canoe; that in fact a vehicle was ready that would take them to their point of embarkment. What was essential was only to keep the matter strictly secret. Unfortunately, it was the gendarme who first discovered this matter of clandestine immigration. They descended heavily on the area indicated to them in the building under construction, and found all 27 Gambians on the spot under the guidance of Morr Saho.
It was through intermediaries in Banjul that the aspiring travellers did their preliminary transactions and paid the monies for their fares to Spain. According to one of them, it all started at Karang where they boarded a truck before landing at Gorr Secka’s home, who was to do the final arrangements for the journey with Mam Gor Joof.
Investigations in Mbour to track down the fugitive accomplices have not borne fruit. It was instead Gora’s mother and his wife who were caught in the net, interrogated and released.
Morr Saho, who had spent some days in custody with the young Gambians, attempted to give a different verson of the story than the one he had given at the Gendarmerie -- that he had opposed the whole affair.
But when cornered on his new statement, he acknowledged all what he had earlier declared. In his judgment, the Judge, Jahumpa detailed all the risks involved in clandestine immigration and indicated that such an unlawful act is punishable with two years and six months imprisonment for Mr. Saho who rented his house to them and two years for the young Gambians, Some of whom wept, begging for mercy.
They were then sentenced to one month in prison, while Morr Saho was sentenced to three months. The court also ordered the seizure of 200,000 francs found in a bag at Gora Secka’s home, the 120 euros, 10,000 dalasis and a DVD player. The passports and ID cards belonging to them would be returned to them after serving their terms. Also the truck which was to transport the young Gambians was also seized.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 68/2006, 21-22 August, 2006
|
|
|
LEMON TIME
Afghanistan
1295 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2006 : 01:42:50
|
| This news is totally sad as people in africa will always try and try to get to Europe no matter how dangerous it is to travel THE BACK WAY TO EUROPE. |
 |
|
|
jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2006 : 12:48:46
|
Lemontime, i sad about this but glad that they did not set sail, becuase then it would have been a different story.
I posted information about my last trip where i had met a youth who had paid 3,000 dls to go to morocco.
So sad, modern day slavery.
|
|
|
|
serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2006 : 13:42:14
|
| I see that Senegal now is cooperating with Europe on immigration matters. Though I have mixed feelings about this, I am happy the young men didn't succeed to make this perilous trip. But I fear they will try again. |
|
|
|
Alhassan
Sweden
813 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2006 : 15:00:05
|
Modou,
This is not new to me.It has been going on since the late 60s and early 70s. I remembered when I was a teacher in Dakar, I lived not far away from the habour and used to meet many Gambians who came there to look for ships for contracts. Many of the sea men who went by land died during the journey between Africa and Spain. Many Gambian seamen were also sentenced to jail terms for clandestine boardng of ships with the intention of getting signed on the ship. Then most of the ships that went to the Far East passed by Dakar for bonkering. Many had contracts, but those who were apprehended withn the waters of Senegal faced a jail sentence. It is a pity that people waste so much for just crossing the ocean without knowing what awaist them on the other side. I think our people should have been waken up by now after all cases in Marrocco and Spain. They should have known better after all information and tv-programs in the Gambia. |
Edited by - Alhassan on 23 Aug 2006 15:03:03 |
|
|
|
jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2006 : 15:36:34
|
| I wish there was a way to put this kind of event and the guilty parties on television. I know that local gambians hear stories but they do not believe them. If it was put on the news it would make a better impact. |
|
|
|
kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2006 : 19:16:25
|
Its the forces of nature and human instinct to survive. If African governments cannot provide hope, her citizens will look for it or create it. I do not support the risks but for these people, the only hope for them is to die trying. You can only judge them if you are like one of them.
Migration is not anything new and is as old as life itself and shifting, toowards the regions that provided hope no matter the risks. We saw the boat people from Haiti, Cuba etc. We also saw the migration to the Americas for hope all over europe.
If you do not want to see your nationals dying in the high seas, then one has to be responsible enough to serve their interests and aspirations.
We had a neighbour who had three wives. Whenever he had a problem and poeple come to intervene, he would ask if they also had three or four wives if not they could not adjucate. He believed that only those in his category can understand and appreciate what it takes to manage a household of three wives. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
| Bantaba in Cyberspace |
© 2005-2024 Nijii |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
