Jukuna
Suso, a victim of human right violations in 1994, 1996 and 2016 and a party
militant of the United Democratic Party (UDP) yesterday told the truth-seeking
commission that it was former prison director David Colley who led her, the UDP
party leader Ousainou Darboe and about 30 other people who were demonstrating
for the death of Solo Sandeng in 2016 into Mile 2.
Explaining
the incident, Mrs Suso said she went to Pipeline and Solo Sandeng died the
following day, adding that her father called and informed her and she went to
Ousainou Darboe’s house and found them
at the sitting room. She said that was the time Darboe wanted to go out for
demonstration and he told them not to go with weapons.
On
whether she knew how Solo died, she testified that she heard that Solo and
others went out to demonstrate and he was arrested and taken to NIA where he
died.
On
that demonstration, the witness indicated that Darboe went with Lamin Dibba,
Modou Sanneh, Fakebba and many other people.
“After
they left us at the compound and went, someone told me that they arrested all
my party members. I decided not to stay at home and as I was standing at the
gate with Mai, the paramilitaries came and told me to board a truck. I was not
able to and they hold and threw me inside with two men. They forced me to show
them Solo’s compound but I decided not to because I was already arrested.”
Mrs
Suso told the Commission that they were later taken to the PIU headquarters,
where she saw all the supporters and the leaders of the UDP bleeding.
“I
spent the day there almost naked and my blood pressure raised to 200. They went
to Jammeh Foundation and brought a doctor who told me to be careful before I
will be paralyzed.”
She
said the NIA officers surrounded the house they were in and all the
ventilations were blocked. She added that she was asked which party she was and
who did she voted for; but she told them that she supports UDP and she votes
for Darboe.
She
said the following day when the PIU officers went to see the former president
Yahya Jammeh at the airport, they took them to Mile 2 on the orders of David
Colley, the then mile 2 prison director.
“When
we reached the prison on a Sunday, David took Darboe and the other men to
confinement. I and Fanta Darboe were taken to the female remand wing. The
people that we found there helped us and gave us their dresses to wear.”
She
added that they were there with a mad and pregnant women; saying she helped the
pregnant woman who wanted to be delivered of her baby and called the people to
take her to the hospital.
“They
took her, she delivered and the baby was taken to SOS. She was always crying
but I told her to bear the pain and I gave her courage that one day she will
get out of the place.”
She
explained that there was a time when their room had electrical spark and all
the prison officers ran and left them there which led to some of them fainting.
“I stayed in the prison for three months before being convicted.”
Testifying
on what happened to Darboe during the incident after the 1994 coup, she
explained that soldiers with guns came to Darboe’s house searching for him and
she told them he was not there.
“They
requested for a number and I gave them the home line. They told me that when
Darboe came I should tell him to answer to Statehouse or anything can happen to
him.”
She
that Jalika, a cousin to Darboe went to Kanifing and told him. Darboe later
came to the house with Sidia Jatta and she informed him but he said he would
not go to Statehouse.
“Ousainou
was arrested when he left his house to Bakau at Mr. Boro’s office and taken to
Fajara Barracks. It was after three weeks I saw Darboe at Pipeline after his
release. His situation saddened me because his weight reduced and his body and
cloths were also dirty.”
She
further recalled that during the first elections, there was a problem at the
bridge and lot of UDP militants sustained injuries and seriously bleeding.
“Some people died as a result of that.”
