By Alhagie Jobe
The French government has added its voice to international calls for the authorities in The Gambia to mount an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of yet another opposition member Solo Krummah in state custody.
“We urge an independent investigation into the circumstances of his death, as well as that of UDP activist Solo Sandeng shortly after his arrest on April 14. We call for the release of all political prisoners’ the French government Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Wednesday.
Solo Krummah, a member of the opposition United Democratic Party died on August 20th at the Edward Francis’s Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul after undergoing an unsuccessful surgery while under state custody. He was the UDP deputy chairman for Sandu Constituency and arrested during protests that stormed mainland Africa’s smallest country in May 2016. Kurumah was put on trial for showing solidarity with detained comrades of his party.
“The allegations of torture are particularly troubling. France asks the Gambian authorities to fully respect the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly and human rights, in keeping with Gambia’s international commitments” the French government concluded.
This is the second UDP member to have died under state custody following April’s arrests against peaceful opposition demonstrators demanding electoral reform. In April, Ebrima Solo Sandeng was arrested and died in state custody following severe torture by Gambian authorities under the orders of President Yahya Jammeh.
Earlier, the United States expressed ‘deep concern’ about the death of Solo Krummah and urged the government of The Gambia to cease its sustained crackdown on political opposition members and supporters, and to respect the rights of all citizens to freedoms of expression and association without fear of retribution.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights also deplored the reported death in custody of Solo Kurumah and urged the Gambian authorities to investigate the deaths in State custody of Mr. Sandeng and Mr. Krummah as well as allegations that detainees are denied access to medical care.
