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Momodou
Denmark
11634 Posts |
 Posted - 24 Sep 2009 : 15:38:19
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Disappearances are as Bad as the Killing of People
Editorial
One will wonder what is happening to The Gambia, one time the heaven of West Africa, commonly known as the smiling coast of You can hardly read a newspaper nowadays without reading about a murder case.
Be it newly reported or the case being mentioned in the courts. Nor can you watch the television broadcasts or listen to the radio bulletins without knowing of a person killed. It is equally the same about people going missing for years without seeing a trace of them.
A person going missing is as bad as people killed. The case of Kanyiba’s disappearance which is three years this week is a cause for concern by anybody who is peace loving and for some body who has respect for people’s rights. Just like how people have rights to their lives, people also have rights to their movements. Nobody’s movement should be restricted without the due process of the law.
Local media reported that Kanyiba was said to have been arrested by plain cloth officials on 18th September 2006 at his home placetype villageof Bonto in the kombo East constituency. Kanyiba is not only an employee of the Christian Childrens’ Fund (CCF), but also Constituency chairman of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP).
Ebrima Manneh, commonly call Chief Manneh has also gone missing for more than three years now. Reports have it that he too like kanyiba, was picked up at his former place of work, Daily Observer. Since 2006, Manneh’s aging parents have not set their eyes on him, and have lost all hope of seeing him again, just like the people of Kanyiba.
Disappearances are as bad as murder. Just like how the families of the two have not seen their loved ones for more than three years, that is how the families of the unsolved murder case of our dear colleague Deyda Hydara cannot see the handsome Deyda again, at least not in this world.
The recent spree of killings be it road accidents or killings by criminals left the following victims separated from their love ones, fathers, mothers, wives, and children: Hamidou Jallow of London Corner, a businessman who was found dead in his shop, Saffiatou Nyassi was killed by a high speeding motor car recently at Faji Kunda, Astou Conateh was also killed by a car at Tallinding in the same month, A wheel barrow pusher was also killed by the same car at the same time, Isatou Foon killed her three year old baby on 16th September 2009, Kumba Daffeh was also killed in June of this year. This numbers can go beyond this all in a month or so. Is this not alarming?
There is a need for government to act and act now in order to regain what we are known for, “the heaven of Africa If all the actors do not play their roles and effectively, we cannot anymore call ourselves a peaceful nation. How can one be considered a peaceful country if killings are rampant like what we are experiencing? These coupled with people going missing and no trace of them at all. Unless such ungodly acts are stopped we cannot consider ourselves to be called a peace full country.
It is the responsibility of any government, and the Gambia government cannot be an exception, to guarantee the security of its citizens. When some are killed like Deyda and others mentioned above a proper investigation is supposed to be mounted so as to bring the culprits to book. Or in the case of those missing, it is equally the responsibility of the Government to put in place a mechanism and find out where those missing ones are. If people’s safety cannot be guaranteed then something is wrong some where. As we said at the opening of this editorial disappearances are as bad as murder cases. A solution should be found and not mere talk but practical solutions to what we at the Daily News referred to as madness, madness because how can people be killed like this in a peaceful country like ours?
Source: The Daily News
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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