TRRC begins Probe into Massacre of West African Migrants

The Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) this Wednesday begins hearings into the killings of West African Migrants in July 2005.

Kebba Bah, then an agent of the Gambia Police in Barra told the Commission that on the 22nd July 2005, he received a tip-off from his childhood friend Sering Ndure, informing him that there was a group of people between Barra and Jinak and that they looked stranded.

The witness testified that after receiving that information, he also relayed it to his boss, then Inspector Jawara Demba who was his Station Officer at the time.

The witness further informed the Commission that two Police captains, Pa Ndure and Alagie Jack Sarr took a Canoe and went to the place the migrants were located.  And upon arrival they were happy and smiling.

“We asked the migrants to onboard the Canoe and took them from the beach side and transported them to the Wharf in Barra”. The witness, Kebba Bah, told the TRRC Commission that the migrants were not carrying anything terrifying such as weapons when they boarded their canoe.

The witness also revealed to the Commission that the migrants were wrongly dumped at the Wharf in Banjul and they looked thirsty and hungry. The witness finally told the Commission that the names of the migrants were recorded in the Diary book.

On whether they were under the control of the Police, the witness responded “yes”. However, when the witness reported to work the following day, he said he was told that the migrants were taken to Amdalai and made to board in a Navy Vessel.

Lead Counsel, Essa Faal reminded the Public that members of the killer machine of the former president revealed before the Commission that they were ordered to execute 44 West African Migrants.

However, in 2005, the government of the Gambia tried to cover up by saying that those executed in The Gambia were mercenaries.

Apart from the 50 West African Migrants another batch of 35 were arrested and some of them were prosecuted and convicted.

Lead Counsel Faal said other witnesses who are none Gambians but victim families from Ghana would also testify before the Commission.