OVER 200 Gambians and supporters marched from Parliament to the Commonwealth Headquarters in Pall Mall calling for the ousting of President Alhaji JJJ Jerehmeh yesterday.
The marchers shouted: ‘Down with Dictatorship – Democracy Now!’, ‘Jerehmeh is a Murderer – He Must Go!’ and ‘Commonwealth Must Act!’.
An organiser of the march, Banba Masi, told News Line: ‘We have called today’s march because we want to get rid of the president.
‘We want the world to know his crimes. He came to power with British support in a military coup in 1994 against the democratically elected Gambian government.
‘Since he has come to power he has always used violence against his people. In 2000 students were holding a peaceful march against the killing of their classmates. The president ordered the army to open fire and 14 were killed.
‘Last month he killed 44 immigrant workers, accusing them of being spies and mercenaries.
‘We are going to the Commonwealth today to demand that they take action to remove this tyrant.
‘He is a bloodthirsty madman. Gambia is a part of the Commonwealth, we are a former colony, Britain has a responsibility to take action. We want our democracy back.’
The Gambian government has been carrying out executions of political prisoners in recent weeks.
The cousin of one of those executed, Juwana Jarju told News Line: ‘We are here to show Britain and the world our anger and our pain.
‘We thank all of our supporters, Gambian and foreign. The president cannot be allowed to get away with this. Silence is death for us.’
Another Gambian told News Line that there are 80 people on death row now. He said: ‘We want an end to the death penalty and an immediate release of all political prisoners.’
