The
sad news about the deaths and injuries that emanated from a stampede that took
place at the national stadium of Senegal is shocking and heartrending.
Eight
people, we understand, have been killed and 60 injured by the collapse of walls
in a stampede during a football league final in Dakar, and we were told the
stampede broke out following clashes towards the end of the match. This led to
two major supporting walls collapsing on people in the stadium.
This
is serious grief for our people in Senegal but it is also a pain in our heart
in The Gambia, as whatever affects Senegal affects The Gambia since we are a
people of the same family.
We
would therefore like to express our condolence to the bereaved families and our
sympathy for the injured. The same goes for the football association and all
the people of Senegal.
Looking
at how the tragedy occurred with its causative factors – to which hooliganism
and police high handedness have their take – we are touched to throw in some
warnings and words of concern that, unruly behavior from fans and apparently
lack of tact from security apparatus should be seriously put a stop to, so as
such a catastrophe and traumatic incident does not come on us again just like
that.
Another
observation is that safety checks should always be observed as regards the
safety of our stadiums and the capacity they can take to make it safe for lives
within its confines.
Coming
home to The Gambia, we should draw some lessons from this tragic happening in
our neighbours’ yard and try to put all necessary measures in place to guard
against it, for we do experience some amount of hooliganism here and there from
football fans for one reason or the other.
Please,
please, let’s learn from these happening around us, and do the right thing as
the beautiful game – football - must always be maintained beautifully.
Once
again we mourn with our kith and kin in Senegal as we share their grief and
loss.
“The
purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help
others.”
Albert Schweitzer
