Victim of April 2000 killings appeals for assistance

On April 10-11, 2000, the Gambia Student Union (Gamsu) staged a countrywide protest demanding for justice to be done for a fallen colleague, who was reported to have died as a result of maltreatment by Gambian security officials.

A number of people were killed and others injured in the process, including students.

Eleven years on, Abdou Karim Jammeh, who was a student at the time attending the 9^th grade, suffered a gun shot injury while on his way to sat to an examination at his school.

On Tuesday, April 19, 2011, Jammeh walked into the office of The Voice Newspaper to get his appeal for medical support disseminated widely. “I am appealing for support from the Government, Non-Governmental Organisations and individuals for an overseas treatment,” he said.

Mr. Jammeh said the pain on his leg is unbearable as he finds it difficult to sit or walk for long, prompting him to seek for overseas treatment since he does not have the means to facilitate that. 

He lamented that the injury has cost him his education and as well as his health condition. “I am now disabled,” he lamented.

“After the incident, I was approach by some Gambians abroad (in America) who promised to raise funds for the victims affected during the course of the incident in order to help us acquire overseas treatment, but that did not materialize.”

According to Abdou Karim, apart from being told that the treatment he received when he was admitted in hospital was sponsored by the government, he did not receive any other form of assistance.

He said he has since been writing letters to the Government, NGOs and private individuals, relaying his ordeal through the press in order to get assistance, but still, no respond has been received from any side.

He reiterated that he is appealing to NGOs, the Government and individuals, including the President to come to his aid on humanitarian grounds. “The incident has happened and is now a thing of the past. As human beings are taught to forgive and forget, I can forgive anyone who did this action to me, but cannot forget the date because it affects my life a lot,” Abdou Karim Jammeh said.