By Tabora Bojang
Ebrima Ceesay, a captain in the Gambian army has reportedly been arrested and detained by military police in Banjul after he allegedly protested the arrival of new Senegalese troops in an audio recording.
Captain Ceesay was deployed at the Defence Headquarters in Banjul where he also serves as military intelligence officer and also does protocol services.
According to a source, Ceesay was heard in an audio in which he criticised the deployment of a new contingent of Senegalese soldiers to The Gambia as part of the Ecowas mission. The contingent is led by Colonel Balla Moussa Mané with 618 personnel composed of headquarters staff, a command, support and service company, a mechanised company and two motorised companies.
A source told The Standard: “Captain Ceesay recorded a WhatsApp audio expressing discontent that the deployment of these new troops from Senegal is weakening and threatening The Gambia’s sovereignty and he blamed the government for allowing that to happen while neglecting Gambian soldiers. But he mistakenly shared that audio with an SIS agent who forwarded the matter to the authorities and Captain Ceesay was subsequently arrested in his office in Banjul by the military police. He remained under detention at the Yundum Barracks.”
In an unrelated case, our source said one Private Jarju, who is undergoing an officer cadet course at the military training school in Fajara was also arrested and detained after he was accused of allegedly leaking information on social media that army recruits who died during combat training ate bad food.
Four recruits Tamsir Bah, Sarja Darboe, Lamin Koita and Momodou Nyabally died following a rigorous 12km combat fitness test held at Fajara Barracks while dozens of others were hospitalised and treated at Ndebaan and Kanifing hospitals.
The army dismissed the food poisoning allegation stating that medical samples were sent to the National Public Health lab and investigations were underway to determine the exact cause.
The Standard has unsuccessfully tried to elicit clarification from the army spokesperson Colonel Lamin K Sanyang on these allegations since yesterday.
