By Awa D A Conteh
A father of 16 children had blamed the police for the death of his eldest son, Lamin A Bojang, during the 10-11 April 2000 student demonstration. He said he travelled to Basse but Lamin had earlier asked him to buy him a bangle.
Mr Abdulie H Bojang was testifying before the TRRC in Jambur on Thursday.
He said he was first informed by Mrs Dominga Cesay, a manager at Standard Bank, that there was a demonstration in Serrekunnda but he was not expecting any death.
He said on his way home, he heard Ebrima Sillah reporting on BBC that shots were fired and some students were killed. Upon arrival at home he found people converged in his home. His search for his child went in vain so he later proceeded to the hospital but found the situation tensed. After a sleepless night, he returned to the hospital and was informed that his son died. At the mortuary, he recognized his son and placed the bangle on his son hand and took a photo of the corpse.
When asked what he knew about witch hunters in Jambur, he said the village Alkalo Harouna Bojang called to inform him that some people were captured in the village on grounds that they are witches.
According to him, when he arrived in Jambur, he realized that his stepmother, Massireh Bojang was dizzy and complaining of stomach pain. He said he later listed the names of all the victims and then formed a victims’ centre. However, when he heard that the TRRC was coming he compiled another list and an article on Foroyaa newspaper. From the list he submitted, he said 32 individuals survived after drinking the concoction in Kololi while 18 people died as a result.
Mr Bojang explained that the destruction caused by the forceful drinking of the concoction on false accusation of being witches had far-reaching consequences on the people of Jambur. The community, he went on, had lived in peace and love while harmony and trust prevailed since time immemorial among them.
He said neighbours became suspicious of each other and the brotherhood collapsed. He said even the imam who was very old at the time could not survive the harmful effects of the concoction which was a great loss to them.
The VDC Chairman, Dembo Jariatou Bojang and a host of others also died as a result if this concoction.
Dwelling on reconciliation, he said the village was cloudy because of politics but said the TRRC would be an eye opener for all. He blamed the former regime for divided their village and the entire nation at large.
He said the division went up to a level whereas some people would not attend the burial rites of others nor go to their naming or other ceremonies.
He said he made some effort to reconcile his fellow villagers.
TRRC Chairman Dr. Lamin J Sise, congratulated the people of Jambur for their understanding and cooperation with the commission and expressed hoe that other communities would emulate Jambur.
In his concluding remarks, he advised the people of Jambur and The Gambia at large to love each other, noting that the TRRC is an investigating body and cannot be used as a political platform.