By Dawda Baldeh
One of the victims of April 14 protest, Mamour Mbenga fondly known as Kifa Barham, has called on Gambian government to bring to justice former president Yahya Jammeh and others to justice for the atrocities ordinary people went through on that fateful day.
Mamour Mbenga is a Gambian journalist who was covering the April 14 protest staged by supporters of main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP). Headed by Ebrima Solo Sandeng, the protesters were demanding for electoral reforms. Mr. Sandeng was arrested and tortured to death by the then National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
Journalist Mamour Mbenga [Kifa] was arrested and suffered alleged torture from security forces.
Speaking to the Fatu Network, Kifa called on the President Barrow led government to ensure that former President Jammeh and others face justice for what he and other victims went through in the hands of security forces.
“I am calling on the government of President Adama Barrow to bring ex-president Yahya Jammeh and his brutal culprits to face justice. As a journalist, I was brutally manhandled by security forces at the protest ground for taken photos and videos of the scene. I was later arrested at the border point in Senorba by uniform and plain clothes officers,” Kifa Barham lamented.
He said the day will remain a dark chapter in his mind, noting that the late Ebrima Solo Sandeng was arrested in his present.
“Allah is my witness that late Solo spoke to me in an interview at the protest ground before he was driven away by one of the senior police officers who had quickly hijacked a yellow taxi. With my recording device, I rushed closer to the taxi’s window to further seek for more information regarding his brutal arrest by the state security, but unfortunately the officer prevented me from asking questions, but Solo was bravely eager to talk,” he recalled.
Kifa recollected that he managed to ask Solo about his arrest.
“I have been arrested. These people want to kill me said. Go and write about it.” Kifa said those were the final words of Solo before he was driven away to an unknown destination.
Journalist Kifa said his only crime was to have published the story on Foroyaa Newspaper.
He emphasized that he wants justice for him and the rest of the victims of 14 April 2016 incident.
“I am not only saying this for people to read but to express my feelings and concern on behalf of all the departed victims of the former regime and the victim’s families. As I am speaking, I have been indoors since yesterday. Only Allah knows how I feel.”
“I was conditioned to write a release statement that I was not tortured neither experienced brutal treatment at the NIA but upon my unconditional release I took a route to exile in Senegal for fear of being arrested again.”
