The commander of Yundum Barracks Lt Col Pierre Mendy died on Monday aged 57, eight months after testifying before the TRRC.
Mendy was a great commander who served his nation with distinction, a man who even laid down his life to protect both President Jawara and President Jammeh.
He will however be remembered for his memorable appearance at the TRRC last year where he testified on how soldiers led by the no-nonsense Umpa Mendy stormed his house in March 2006 and arrested him. Umpa took him straight to Mile 2 prison where he told him he was instructed to take him there.
Pierre Mendy was accused of being part of Ndure Cham’s coup. Two days after he was taken to Mile 2, the junglers among them Malick Jatta and Sanna Manjang visited Mendy at Mile 2 and took him to the NIA. While he was being taken back to Mile 2, he alleged Malick Jatta hit him on his head with his rifle and blooding started pouring from his head.
Again on March 25, Mendy was taken back to the NIA but this time taken to the ‘torture arena’ where he was mercilessly tortured by the junglers.
“It [torture] went up to 30 to 35 minutes,” he told the TRRC last year.
Mendy actually knew about the coup but he said he took it as a joke because he was a commander and all commanders are invited to the army headquarters for a meeting if there is an operational issue.
The TRRC will submit its return to President Barrow on September 30. Lt Col Mendy will not be there when this is done. Gob bless the soldier.
