A
native of Sintet, who testified before TRRC’s regional hearings in Sibanor,
disclosed that during her detention in Kanilai, she admitted to eating two
people just to be released.
Fatou
Darboe, a victim of the infamous national witch hunt ordered by the exiled
former Gambian leader, Yahya Jammeh claimed that during her detention in
Kanilai, they were told that if they didn’t admit that they killed someone,
they would not be released.
“I
insisted for two days, I had no choice but to say I eat two.”
Recalling
the infamous episode which happened on a Monday 2009, Fatou stated that she was
informed about the arrival of the witch hunters, but maintained that she
preferred death to drinking their concoctions.
“The
information I got was that former president Yahya Jammeh gave an order to
identify witches and wizards and give them concoctions to drink. I saw a man in
red and two other armed soldiers. As I was about to pass them, the one with
mirror pointed at me and asked the soldiers to take me to the bus.”
Darboe,
who is the mother of former GRTS journalist, late Kebba Dibba indicated that
during the incident, she recognised the presence of the paramilitary personnel.
“The
bus was filled with only old women. The young people were there but they didn’t
capture any. The old men also filled two vehicles.”
Mother
of seven, Fatou maintained that those who refused to comply with the witch
hunters were beaten.
On
arrival in Kanilai, Fatou Darboe asserted that she alongside others, was taken
to Yahya Jammeh’s military camp; saying the soldiers told them to remove their
monies and phones and hand them over.
She
told the commission that they were given concoctions to drink.
“Dajang
Touray who was the first to be given the concoction fell down unconscious. He
died the same year and we believed it was as a result of the concoction.”
The
witness admitted that after drinking the concoction, she was unconscious,
further explaining that when she was ushered into the room to drink the local
concoction, a soldier asked her to undress.
“When
he asked me to be naked, I agreed because I was afraid. I took all my clothes
off, just like how I was born. He poured water from my head and bathed me. He
gave me one litter of that concoction with leaves to drink. I think the water
was mixed with ‘kubejara’, which tastes very bitter.”
Further
explaining, she disclosed that before they were released, the witch hunters
asked them to name whom they had eaten. In reply, she maintained that she is
not a witch and she did not know what a witch is.
She
told the commission that they were asked to admit to be witches before they
were released from detention in Kanilai.
“I
was detained for two days and I wanted to be released, so I told them I ate two
people. Then that was the time I was released.”
