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Momodou
Denmark
11517 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Jan 2018 : 19:42:06
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Gen. Umpa Mendy Ansumana Tamba arrested
Monday, January 22, 2018
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/gen-umpa-mendy-ansumana-tamba-arrested
The Military Police Unit of The Gambia Armed Forces has yesterday arrested generals, Umpa Mendy and Ansumana Tamba following the duo’s return from Equatorial Guinea on Friday.
“These two were part of Jammeh’s devilish hand who perpetrated serious crimes against the Gambian population under Jammeh. It is shocking they are allowed into the country through the main gates without apprehension,” a security source said yesterday.
Umpa Mendy was a Principal Protection Officer for President Jammeh for many years. He was alleged to have been personally responsible for a number of crimes that are currently being filed at the Attorney General’s Chambers for the consideration of the soon-to-be established Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
“So his presence in the country is indeed very awkward for healing and reconciliation process the population was promised by President Adama Barrow,” a political analyst said.
Gen. Umpa Mendy was born in Kachumei and a resident in Bushumbala (home of the recent political unrest that saw destruction of properties and attacks of supporters on both sides of the political divide).
He was reported to be a key member of Jammeh’s infamous and much-feared hit squad, The ‘junglers.’ Gen Mendy either personally supervises the team’s operations or lead it in some cases, our sources said yesterday.
Another among the confirmed returnees was a native of Kassa Kunda, a village outside of Brikama, Gen AnsumanaTamba. He has been a State Guard Commander and strong Jammeh loyalist for about three years prior to the departure of Jammeh.
Sources said Gen. Saul Badjie has also moved from Equatorial Guinea and is currently dawdling in a neighbourhood country. “He is either in Senegal or Guinea Bissau but not in Equatorial Guinea,” our source said.
It is not yet clear as to why these top military aides of Jammeh “sudden” appeared in Banjul. Analysts, however, believed that it is part of “subtle moves” by exiled dictator to “return” to Gambia.
Our sources also confirmed that the various intelligence services are coordinating to establish the facts surrounding the “sudden return” into the country. However, it came as a surprise to them since none were aware at the time of their entry.
APRC connection
Despite his official replacement as “leader of the APRC party by former Majority Leader FabakaryTombong Jatta”, the party supporters still print Jammeh’s faces on party T-Shirts, banners and profess their support to him.
Last week, the party announced it has appointed a new deputy leader in the person of ex-Col Modou Alieu Bah, a one-time convict and pardoned officer of The Gambia Army who has been appointed as the director of finance of The Gambia Armed Forces by Jammeh.
Upon his release from prison, M.A. Bah was promoted to the rank of colonel in the Armed Forces, and subsequently appointed the Interior minister after Jammeh’s long-time ally, Ousman Sonko fled into exile at the peak of the #Gambia Rising protests.
Again, Col. Bah was promoted to the rank of general of the Gambia Army during the political crisis especially when Jammeh refused to step down and accept the democratic decision of the Gambian voters.
Whether the government of Adama Barrow is being fed the right intelligence on these “subtle moves” is matter of concern for many, our analyst maintained.
Author: Sanna Camara
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11517 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jan 2018 : 12:24:21
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Arrested Jammeh loyalists pose no threat says GAF PRO
The point: Tuesday, January 23, 2018
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/arrested-jammeh-loyalists-pose-no-threat-says-gaf-pro
Major Lamin K. Sanyang, the public relations officer (PRO) of The Gambia Armed Force (GAF) has told The Point in an interview that the return of generals, Umpa Mendy and Ansumana Tamba from Equatorial Guinea in the country poses no threat to our national security.
“The two men came through Royal Air Morocco and they are currently detained at the Yundum Military Barrack helping security officers in their investigation,” he said. “At the moment we cannot tell you as to whether there was anyone that escaped, but the investigation will reveal it.”
The army PRO said they are at the moment trying to flesh out why they decided to stay with Yahya Jammeh in Equatorial Guinea for more than a year without returning to work.
“At the moment we cannot tell anything unless the investigation is done. We are also finding out as to why they decided to stay in Equatorial Guinea for more than a year without reporting to work among others,” Sanyang added.
Major Lamin K. Sanyang added that there is no cause for alarm in the country. The security situation of the country, he assured, is under control. “The people can continue to go on their normal businesses.”
Quizzed by the Reporter Momodou Jawo as to why the two most wanted Jammeh loyalists, who are alleged to have committed heinous crime during the former regime were not arrested at on the spot at the airport, PRO Sanyang stated “investigation are ongoing.”
Asked again about the rumors that General Badgie has also left Equatorial Guinea, Sanyang said they are monitoring their activities.
Sanyang said General Umpa Mendy was arrested at his home in Busumbala, while General Ansumana Tamba was arrested in Yarambamba.
Author: Momodou Jawo |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11517 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jan 2018 : 22:22:02
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Ex-President’s Bodyguard, Commander Detained At Yundum Barracks
Foroyaa: January 23, 2018
By Mustapha Jallow
http://foroyaa.gm/ex-presidents-bodyguard-commander-detained-at-yundum-barracks/
Brigadier General Umpa Mendy and Brigadier General Ansumana Tamba, who fled with former President Jammeh to Equatorial Guinea, were arrested and detained at the Yundum Barrack since Sunday, 21st January 2018, around the hours of 12 noon, military sources can confirm.
Sources indicate that Gens. Mendy and Tamba with a former waiter to ex-President, Modou Lamin Jarju, both landed at the Banjul International Airport and passed undetected by the Intel and Immigration officers.
GAF spokesperson Major Lamin K. Sanyang told Foroyaa in a telephone interview that the two former serving members of the Gambia Armed Forces are currently under military police detention at the Yundum Barracks following their return from Equatorial Guinea; that Gens. Mendy and Tamba arrived in The Gambia on Sunday 21st January 2018, on board Royal Air Maroc flight from Equatorial Guinea via Morocco; that Mendy was picked from his home in Busumbala whilst Tamba was arrested at his residence in Yarrambaba; that both were escorted to Yundum Barracks for interrogation. As for the waiter of the former president, GAF PRO Sanyang said they are yet to get information on him but investigation about him is ongoing.
Asked whether there will be any charges brought against them, GAF PRO Sanyang responded: ‘‘Right now they are going through questioning as we try to find out the circumstance surrounding their return as they have been away for more than a year now. And how they passed through the airport undetected is an urgent matter for the investigators.’’
GAF PRO Sanyang continued that the Gambia Armed Forces reassures the general public that there is no cause for alarm; that The Gambia is safe and secure and all are therefore urged to go on their normal daily activities.
For the benefit of the readership, Gen. Oumpa Mendy was the long-time Principal Protection Officer to former president Jammeh whilst Gen. Tamba was the Commander of the State Guards Battalion. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11517 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jan 2018 : 08:18:36
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Our intelligence must not fail us
The Point Editorial: Tuesday, January 23, 2018
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/our-intelligence-must-not-fail-us-1
Intelligence gathering, analysis and supply are the lifeblood to national security. It is one thing that keeps any nation safe or otherwise. It keeps dictators on top of their games, just as we had Jammeh successfully orchestrate his rule for over twenty years.
The quality of intelligence is the foundation of sound security policies. Are our policymakers getting disappointed with intelligence they are provided, hence they chose to ignore intelligence warnings?
The security and justice needs of this country must not be taken for granted. It will either make or break the New Gambia. The last time that SIS director had a press conference, he alluded to the agency’s new efforts at “tightening a security belt” around the country. Well, we are yet to see that manifest itself in terms of how secure we are.
One of President Barrow’s worst mistakes is to entrust the security of this nation into hands of those who ran it for Jammeh. It is something we might live to regret if the promised reforms are not implemented.
With several intelligence outlets at the disposal of the nation, the task of intelligence gathering, analysis and supply for policy actions must be treated with seriousness. Why would intelligence units of the Immigration, Civil Aviation, Police and State House all fail even when the SIS does?
Kanteh and his boys (State House) gather intelligence to advise the State House. What does the SIS do? How would the country’s ‘most wanted personalities flew into the country without the knowledge of the main intelligence body in the first place? Where they sleeping on their desks or do they chose to ignore the warnings?
We have gathered that some of the top security personnel continue to stay in touch with Jammeh even after he has gone. The same is maintained for Saul Badjie, who is currently hiding in God-knows-where.
If these men were bent on wrecking mayhem in the country, they would have succeeded by the time the intelligence and state security apparatus knew of their presence in town. How could you have missed this?
What is for sure is that it’s a security failure for not having these two men arrested on the spot. Had they had planned to launch an attack as previously speculated, they would have controlled the airport and begin their business.
We hope that this would be an eye opener for our intelligence, and we hope that circumstances surrounding their return to The Gambia will soon be known to the public.
“Security is paramount to the peace, stability and development of the country.”
The Point
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11517 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jan 2018 : 14:36:51
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GAF releases civilian who returned with Gen. Umpa Mendy, Tamba
The Point: Wednesday, January 24, 2018
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/gaf-releases-civilian-who-returned-with-gen-umpa-mendy-tamba
The public relations officer (PRO) of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) Major Lamin K. Sanyang has told The Point that Momodou Jarju, a civilian who just returned from Equatorial Guinea has been questioned by personnel of the Military Police.
“At the moment he has been released. However, investigation is still going on,” the army PRO said.
Sources have informed this medium that Jarju returned home with General Umpa Mendy, former President Yahya Jammeh’s principal protection officer and General Ansumana Tamba former State Guard commander.
They stayed with the exiled former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh in Equatorial Guinea for a year before they returned.
The two generals have all been arrested and are currently detained at the Yundum Military Barracks as investigation deepens. The arrival of the two most wanted generals at the Banjul International Airport without being arrested on the spot has created heated debates within the country especially on social media.
Author: Momodou Jawo |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11517 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2018 : 13:06:03
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CDS Kinteh promises review of security lapses
The Point: Thursday, January 25, 2018
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/cds-kinteh-promises-review-of-security-lapses
Masanneh Kinteh, the chief of Defense Staff of The Gambia Army Force (GAF) said on Monday that a general security lapses will be reviewed with regard to country’s strategic locations such as the airport and borders with a view to strengthen surveillance following the entry into the country, two of former President Yahya Jammeh’s most trusted generals without notice .
In a Monday interview with West Africa Democracy Radio, Lt. General Masanneh Kinteh said the two generals walked into the country and that it was normal to debrief them because they were still officers of The Gambia Armed Forces but that statement angered many Gambian’s including a woman who posted an audio on New Gambian Stakeholders group on WhatsApp, saying general Kinteh needs to inform himself and advise the Gambian population on the sudden appearance of the two generals in the country.
Generals, Umpa Mendy and Ansumana Tamba were arrested by the Military Police Unit of The Gambia Armed Forces following their return from Equatorial Guinea where they were said to be with former President Jammeh who went into exile last year after losing a presidential seat to Adama Barrow.
They arrived at the airport on Sunday via Royal Air Moroc and passed the airport’s main gate with security failing to detect them and were arrested in town, The Point reported on Monday.
The two are accused to be part of Jammeh’s most feared kill squad “junglers” who perpetrated serious crimes against the Gambian population. More dishearteningly, they are allowed into the country through the main gates of the airport without apprehension, exposing the country’s security lapses.
Author: Momodou Jawo |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11517 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jan 2018 : 14:52:35
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Gambia’s security compiles 36 ‘most wanted list’
The Point: Monday, January 29, 2018
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/gambias-security-compiles-36-most-wanted-list
Following the security lapse that resulted in the entry into the country of Jammeh’s top loyal military men from exile, the security authorities have collaborated to produce what they called the country’s ‘most wanted 36’.
According to security sources, this list has already been distributed to various border posts and entry points in the country, in a bid to avoid the repeat of the recent airport incident. The list comprises names of home-based suspects being investigated for alleged crime and those outside the country, sources stated.
“It is true that generals, Tamba and Mendy have entered the country with diplomatic passports that they held before they went into exile. But these were not passports issued recently,” a top immigration official maintained.
“It has been a security lapse on our side, we admit that. However, the person they interacted with more was the officer in-charge of operation at the airport, Lamin Jatta,” a top intelligence source stated.
Jatta was not available for comments as he was suspended from active duties pending outcome of investigations.
The intelligence authorities meanwhile decried concealment of information from them hence the slippage into the country of the army generals without apprehension. “We the SIS were never notified... this is why our men on duties did not take any action,” the official stated.
“The officer commanding SIS Airport post, Gassama and agent Kinteh both faced suspension pending the outcome of the investigation...This is the consequences of concealment of information among the country’s security setup,” our security sources said.
“If the state informed us that these people are wanted, our men would have arrested them on sight,” our intelligence sources maintained.
Lamin Jatta, Gambia Civil Aviation Authority’s Operations commander (now on suspension) was alleged to have facilitated the smooth movement of the suspects in and out of the airport.
Meanwhile, would this have been averted with the investment of millions of U.S. Dollars in the biometric infrastructure and software by The Gambia in 2009, was the question I put to Draman Touray, Gambia’s foremost software engineer and biometrics specialist.
At his office on Atlantic Boulevard, Touray called his databank administrators to illustrate how The Gambia Biometric Identity System (GAMBIS) would have flagged anyone whose information was captured in the over 800, 000 persons.
“The project is the world’s first integrated Biometric Identity Management System. Through this system, the government of The Gambia was capturing biometric details for all citizens and aliens in the country,” Touray stated.
System administrator, Mr. Jah, wearing a long-sleeved white striped shirt with blue tie brought his laptop computer into the conference room and connected a cable to a 46-inch LCD Sony TV mounted on the wall.
This reporter was asked to produce his National ID card, whose NIN (national Identification number) was inserted into a search box in the GAMBISdatabase: There, all my details, including thumb prints; who processed my ID card application and who approved it backin 2012 all appeared.
“With this, no one will leave or come into the country without their necessary details showing…. But the system is not in the hands of the country’s security authorities,” Jah explained.
“We are an indigenous Gambian company that built this system, trained immigration officials, software engineers at the University of the Gambia, among others investment all at the tune of D402 million…,”Draman Touray, who studied Mathematics and Computer Science; and had a career at Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley before coming home to invest.
“The ongoing programme, which was inaugurated on 23 July, 2009, aims to digitally record the biometric details of all citizens and aliens in the country. The reason for the project is to enhance the security of identity documents in order to facilitate commercial, legal, financial and governmental transactions around the nation,” Touray explained (see full interview this week).
As part of the ongoing investigations, a fact-finding team was dispatched to the airport last week. “Umpa Mendy and Ansumana Tamba and others came in as normal passengers, with the Gambia diplomatic passports,” our security source said.
Author: Sanna Camara |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11517 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2018 : 09:47:48
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Detained Generals Charged
Foroyaa: March 28, 2018
By Mustapha Jallow
http://foroyaa.gm/detained-generals-charged/
Two Brigadier Generals Umpa Mendy and Ansumana Tamba, were on Wednesday 21st March 2018, arraigned before a court-martial and charged with desertion and the matter was presided over by Judge Advocacy, Amina Saho-Ceesay.
According to Military Spokesperson Major Lamin K. Sanyang, the two Generals are charged on only one count for now because this was the opening of their case.
Tamba¡¯s junior brother Ansu Tamba, said the authorities have allowed them to have access to the court proceedings after their loved ones were escorted into Military courtroom.
It could be recalled that Gens. Mendy and Tamba were detained for 60 days before being brought to a Military Court. The duo left Gambian soil with ex-president Jammeh to Equatorial Guinea, after the impasse.
However, they decided to return to the Gambia from Equatorial Guinea together with a former waiter and landed at the country¡¯s airport where they passed the security undetected. They were eventually arrested in their homes on Sunday 21st January 2018.
The two will be remanded at the Yundum Barracks till 4th of April 2018, for another hearing.
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Gen. Umpa Mendy Ansumana Tamba arrested
