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Momodou
Denmark
11829 Posts |
 Posted - 25 May 2006 : 15:02:01
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WHERE IS MERCHELE BADJIE?
By Yaya Dampha
Reports reaching this paper have it that the Manager of St Joseph’s Family Farm in Bwiam, Mr. Merchele Badjie, has been arrested by security forces for allegedly aiding and abetting insurgents from Cassamance.
Sources have it that Mr. Badjie was arrested in April by some security forces from Kanilai. According to our sources prior to his arrest, Mr. Badjie was coordinating a cross border project, which covers part of the Senegalese province of Casamance.
According to people close to him, Mr. Badjie’s arrest was spurred by the fact that he aided some insurgents who sustained gunshot wounds during clashes with the Senegalese Armed Forces.
The separatists, according to our sources, phoned Mr. Badjie who went to Casamance and evacuated them, and later took them to Sulayman Junkung Jammeh Hospital in Bwiam for treatment. The four injured rebels were said to have been later referred to the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital in Banjul. Our sources added that the authorities in Cassamance (Senegal) came to report the matter to The Gambian authorities that Merchele was aiding and abetting the rebels.
When this reporter visited the project site in Bwiam, the workers confirmed the arrest of their boss and said he was not released. They said they don’t know his whereabout.
However, many people in Bwiam who spoke to our reporter did not deny the claim that Mr. Badjie took the project vehicle to bring the injured separatists to the hospital in Bwiam. According to them, he has been offering humanitarian services to the Senegalese separatists. A source told our reporter that there was an instance when the rebels wanted to lay down their arms due to the intervention of Mr. Badjie. The source said Mr. Badjie’s objectives were aimed at initiating projects for the people of Cassamance so that they would stop the fighting.
Efforts to speak to the Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Aziz Bojang, proved futile. Further attempts to speak to the National Intelligence Agents (NIA) who are said to be involved in his alledged arrest and detention proved futile.
Readers could recall that Foroyaa published on its issue. No. 32/2006 that four men with gunshot wounds were taken from the Sulayman Junkung Jammeh Hospital to the RVTH in Banjul for treatment and were admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for treatment. The Police were initially informed that the men were involved in a car accident, but when they visited the hospital, they discovered that the four men were suffering from gunshot wounds.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No.39/2006, 22-24 May, 2006
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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