By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
The late Ebrima Solo Sandeng’s successor in the United Democratic Party (UDP) hierarchy, Kemo Bojang has said that what the deceased former UDP youth Secretary General fought and died for has still not been accomplished six years after his demise.
“It is a bit unfortunate and sad that what he fought and died for is still not accomplished,” he said.
Speaking to The Fatu Network after the ruling of Solo Sandeng’s murder case yesterday, the UDP Youth SG, a position Solo was occupying at the time of his murder, told TFN that the Gambia has a progressive democracy compared to April 2016, however, the country still cannot fulfil the electoral reforms which he said Solo died for.
“We wanted to pass a new constitution which will encompass all of these things, but the state, through its apparatus, did not allow it to happen. Our party and its leadership gave their full support to it, but unfortunately, that new constitution could not be passed”, he explained.
Mr Bojang told TFN that the late Ebrima Solo Sandeng died and fought for the whole Gambia and not UDP alone.
He called on President Adama Barrow to remember his then friend at UDP and effect reforms. He said the President should make sure that Solo’s death is not wasted and that what he fought and died for becomes a reality.
He explained that the party is glad that justice has been served for Ebrima Solo Sandeng.
On April 14 in 2016, the then UDP Youth Secretary General took to the streets to protest over electoral reforms in the Gambia. He and others were arrested by state security officers. He was later reported dead at the hands of the State Intelligence Agency (NIA).
Since the change of government in 2017, a trial was set up against the 9 NIA officials on the death of Solo Sandeng and others. After a long trial, judgement was delivered yesterday 13th July 2022.
Justice Kumba Sillah-Camara, delivered the verdict and sentenced Solo’s killers to death.
