By Alhagie Jobe
On this day August 23rd 2012, The Gambia executed 9 death row inmates namely; Lamin Darbo, Lamin Jarju, L F Jammeh, Alieu Bah, Gibril Bah, Malang Sonko, Abubacar Yarbo, Dawda Bojang and only female and Senegalese national Tabara Samba.
Four years on today, family members did not still received the death bodies of their loved ones as everything was conducted without due process and families were and still not formally informed by the dictatorial government.
The execution came following President Jammeh’s defiant statement to the nation that he was going to execute all of the country’s death row inmates by mid-September with the excuse that it would “ensure that criminals get what they deserve”.
The decision drew condemnation from the African Union, Britain and the European Union, among others which promised a quick but unspecified response.
The tiny West African nation had last executed a prisoner about 30 years ago.
The Gambia’s Interior ministry in a statement confirming the execution at the time said six civilians and three members of the military were executed by firing squad on Sunday, August 23rd after their court appeal processes were exhausted. It named the prisoners and said they had been found guilty of a variety of crimes, all involving murder.
The Interior ministry statement also rejected outside influence, saying The Gambia had the right to implement its own laws, and suggested more executions would take place.”All sentences as prescribed by law will be carried out to the letter including the death penalty,” it added.
One of those named as had been executed was identified as a Senegalese citizen and another one on the waiting as Jammeh vowed to kill all 47 death-row inmates by mid-September.
Meanwhile, Senegal formally protested to The Gambia with then Prime Minister Abdoul Mbaye who summoned the then Gambia’s ambassador to Dakar Mass Axi Gye and demanded that the life of the remaining Senegalese death-row prisoner be spared.
PM Mbaye summoned the ambassador to his office following a directive from President Macky Sall, who said he was dismayed and surprised that the executions took place without Senegal being informed through diplomatic channels. He warned the ambassador that relations between the two countries would take a turn for the worse if the remaining Senegalese on death row was executed. The ambassador promised to take the message “up the chain of command”.
Earlier, the European Union demanded also The Gambia to stop executing the death row inmates and said the bloc would come up with a quick but unspecified response to executions reported last week.
“I strongly condemn the executions which have reportedly taken place on Thursday 23 August 2012, following President Jammeh’s stated intention to carry out all death penalties before mid-September,” then EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement.
Former colonial power Britain and Human Rights NGO Amnesty condemned the execution and calls for sanctions on The Gambia.
