Mustapha
Ceesay, a former Gambia Police Force (GPF) staff and an alleged victim of
Gambia’s former President Yahya Jammeh’s 2009 witch-hunting exercise, Tuesday
testified before the TRRC and disclosed that on 14th January 2009, he was
accused, alongsidewith 40 others of being wizardsby witch doctors from Guinea
Conakry.
Testifying
via Skype, Mr Ceesay said those were forbidden in Islam and he was not happy
about it. He added that a brown goat and cock were killed at the Police
headquarters in Banjul and they were asked togo close and swear allegiance to
Mr Jammeh.
He
said identifying him as a wizard was an allegation and he will never forgive
Yahya Jammeh for attributingsuch in his life.
Mr
Ceesay, who joined the police on February 1st 2004, stated that on Tuesday 13
January,2009, he left his office early because he had a land problem to
investigate.”I return the next day at around 7:30am. Inspector Yusupha Saine
told me that witch doctors came to the office and took some names. He said the
IGP request for everyone to come down and attend the morning parade because the
witch hunters will be present.”
He
continued that as they were there in the parade, they were told to come back at
10am because the witch hunters would come to screen everyone and for all to
swear allegiance to Jammeh. He said the IGP said whoeverfailedto comply will be
dismissed from the force.
“The
parade ground was surrounded by four to five state guard soldiers, green boys
and girls, five drummers and five men who were dressed in complete red and
their leader had a cattle horn, cattle tail, a big plate and mirrors. I saw
Solo Bojang standing with the witch hunters and lawyer Edu Gomez standing with
civilians.”
He
said as the delegates sang and drummed, the leader of the witch doctors would
run for a while and point someone as a witch or wizard with his cattle tail.
Mr
Ceesay said the leader of the witch doctors wore a T. Shirt with Guinea written
on it and he get to know that they were from Guinea Conakry through his
research. He further disclosed that he was informed that Jammeh asked them to
conduct the witch hunting exercise after his aunty and two of his personal
close guards, Musa Jammeh and Tumbul Tamba died.
He
said then IGP Ensa Badjie told them that one woman had confessed that she
knocked her head to the soldier truck, which resulted in the death of the
soldiers throughan accident.
“Ensa
Badjie told us that Jammeh said if anyone is pointed as a witch or wizard, that
person will have to drink something. He said if anyone drinks and isa witch or
wizard, the person will die and if he/she is not, will not die. He also said
that every officer will swear allegiance to Jammeh and the executive order was
if anyone fail to do as ordered, will be dismissed.”
Mr
Ceesay said the green boys and girls were drumming and singing in Jola and the
witch doctors started running and pointing people one after the other. He said
he was standing with Mariama Gassama and he told her that the
exercisewasSatanic and he was reciting the Qur’an and all of a sudden,the witch
doctor passed him and later came back and pointed him to join the rest.
The
former police officer explained that he asked the witch doctor whether he meant
him, and he muted and said, yes.He added that he comported himself and waited
for other things to be said, while adding that about 40 people were identified
and Ken Mendy was the one writing the names of the pointed individuals.
After
pointing people, Mr Ceesay said they slaughtered their goat and cock and
started asking them to swear allegiance to Mr Jammeh one after the other.”At
that time, Kumba Jatta was in his office, and he was brought to the parade with
the Jujus he had. It was all knowledge that Kumba had those Jujus but he was
the most peaceful man at the police. He was dragged to the parade, embarrassed
and humiliated.”
He
said F.R.I. Jammeh was asked to slaughter the red goat and IGP Ensa Badjie was
called to slaughter the red cock.”The blood was buried and the animals were
taken away. I was told by the IGP to swear allegiance but I insisted and went
to the back and took two photos of the occasion.”
He
said they were told to go with them to Kotu to be washed but he didn’t and he
was charged with Inspector Yahya Darboe for disobedience to order because they did
not want to worship idols.
He
indicated that he was informed that similar activities of the witch doctors
were held at Gamtel, Fire Service, Army, NIA and Prison. He also explained that
he was demoted and transferred to Fatoto.”I was told that the July 22 boys, who
were at Baba Jobe’s compound tortured captured women. They poured water on them
and beat them. The day I saw Kumba Jatta, he was humiliated and as a result, he
got sick and rarely goes out of his office because he lacked energy and was in
physical pain.”
He
said as a result of the witch hunting in different places, lot of people
fledinto the bush where they stayed for weeks and some had to go to Casamance.
He
said one of his friend’sfather was admitted at the Banjul hospital because of
drinking the water given by the witch doctors, adding that his friend’s
grandmother was sick as a result of the water and the green boys raped his
sister.
“Jammeh
carries out that activity as cover up because he was involved with South
American drug dealers. He wanted to show them that the ‘Kubbeh Jarra’ given to
the alleged witches and wizards was more effective than cocaine.”
Mr
Ceesay said he left the police in October 2009 and worked with the American
Embassy, and later left the country because one of Jammeh’s brothers came to
Kembujeh and knocked down his father’s house, in which his granny died with a
24 year-old boy Omar Jammeh at the spot.
He
also stated that Jammeh’s convoy had killed many Gambians, as a result of
chasing biscuit that he used to be throwing along the highway.
