Sulayman
Trawally, a native of Garawol Kuta village of the Kantora District of the Upper
River Region was reportedly shot in the hand by the Senegalese gendarmerie, The
Point has been reliably informed.
The
incident happened in the night on Saturday 8 March, our source who is familiar
with the matter and spoke to our reporter on the condition of anonymity said.
Mr.
Trawally is currently being detained by the Senegalese gendarmerie in Tamba
Counda of Senegal.
Our
source further added: “The Senegalese gendarmerie intercepted someone with
suspected cannabis. When the suspect was interrogated by the gendarmerie, he
confessed that it was Sulayman Trawally who sold him the cannabis. Apparently,
the Senegalese gendarmerie went for Trawally. Upon arrival, they open fire
which resulted to his injury.”
The
Police Intervention Unit and The Gambia Armed Forces, our source went on, were
later informed about the incident. However, before they arrived at the scene,
the Senegalese gendarmerie had already left. “In fact, currently our security
personnel are patrolling the area,” our source stated.
Baba
Seedy Trawally, a brother to Sulayman Trawally who spoke to our reporter
through telephone, described the incident as ‘unfortunate’, while urging
Gambian authorities to do something before the matter “escalate to tension.”
Baba
Seedy Trawally also dismissed claims that his brother sells cannabis, saying
such information is “totally false.”
“The
Senegalese gendarmerie heavily armed arrives in the village, open fire more
than 10 times. The entire village was panic and people started running. They
met my younger brother in our compound, and as he prepares to go and take
shower. They open fire on him and injured his hand.”
He
recalled that similar incident had happened about 10 years ago.
“They attacked the village and looted more
than 100 bags of sugar. However, when The Gambia government intervened, the
said bags of sugar were immediately returned to the village.”
Two
people, he added, were arrested over the Saturday incident. However, he was
quick to add that one of them, a Senegalese national, has been released.
“I
can clearly tell you that as I’m speaking at the moment my brother is currently
admitted at the hospital in Tamba Counda, Senegal. The government should come to
our aid or else we will even migrate from the village. We want the government
to either help us with a PIU Camp or a Military base,” he said.
The
spokesperson of The Gambia Armed Forces, Major Lamin K. Sanyang was contacted
for comments, however, he promised to give more details on new developments.
