By Lamin Cham
Following reports on social media that a man was shot by soldiers at a check point on the Senegambia Strip Sunday night, leading to injuries, the Gambia Armed Forces have issued a statement explaining the incident.
Checkpoint shootings (often leading to fatalities) have been frequent during the Jammeh era leading to accusations of high handedness and trigger- happy behavior by security forces who often acted with impunity.
On Monday, a leading Gambian affairs social media outlet Whats On -Gambia reported that a young man was in critical condition after allegedly been shot by armed soldiers the night before on the Senegambia Strip.
“It happened around 2:30 a.m. at a military checkpoint in Bijilo, close to Senegambia. They opened fire on us, seriously injuring my friend.
We took him to Ndeban Clinic, but they referred us to Banjul for an X-ray but unfortunately, there were no available beds or doctors to attend to him,” a friend of the victim reportedly told Whats On Gambia.
The platform further reported that a family member of the victim had alleged that the boys were traveling from Bijilo to Senegambia when they saw traffic cones on the road, and after passing the cones, they realised it was a checkpoint but before they could stop, a soldier opened fire, leaving one of the boys seriously injured.
The source said the boy remains in hospital, awaiting surgery to remove bullet fragments from his body.
However, in its statement on the matter, the Gambia Armed Forces said a driver had refused to stop when signaled and nearly ran over one of the soldiers at the checkpoint who had to dive away to avoid a fatal collision.
The army added that giving the ‘imminent danger that the reckless vehicle driver posed to other road users, its occupants and the soldiers at the checkpoint, one of the soldiers (sic Cut offs) aimed at the vehicle’s tires and opened fire’ to disable and stop the vehicle as well as protect the lives of everyone around the checkpoint.
The GAF’s statement reads in full:
”The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) wishes to inform the general public that on Sunday 25 August 2024, a routine patrol of the State Guards Battalion mounted a snap Vehicular Check Point (VCP) around the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo.
At about 0230 hours on Monday 26 August 2024, a vehicle with Registration Number KM 8065 E driven by one Issak Sambou approached the VCP at high speed and knocked down two cones that were placed a few meters before the VCP. The driver continued to speed towards the soldiers manning the VCP and refused to stop when signaled and nearly ran over one of the soldiers who dived away to avoid a fatal collision.
Given the imminent danger that the reckless vehicle driver posed to other road users, its occupants and the soldiers at the VCP, one of the soldiers (Cut Offs) aimed at the vehicle’s tires and opened fire. The aim was to disable and stop the vehicle as well as protect the lives of everyone around the VCP.
Subsequently, the soldiers pursued the vehicle and arrested the driver after a short chase from the VCP.
It was observed that the round ricocheted off and apparently hit one of the occupants of the vehicle, Stanislav Gomez who sustained minor injuries to the thigh.
The soldiers provided first aid to the injured occupant before transporting him to the Ndeban Clinic in Bakau for further medical attention.
It might interest the general public to know that the scene around the incident was immediately secured and an initial assessment conducted by the State Guards Military Police. Preliminary investigations indicate that the driver and the occupants of the vehicle KM 8065 E were all under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
While the quick response of the State Guards personnel at the VCP successfully neutralised a potential threat, the unfortunate incident underscores the importance of maintaining vigilance and strict adherence to traffic rules.
The Gambia Armed Forces wishes to assure the general public that it will continue to take appropriate measures to reinforce safety and security at its checkpoints.
Therefore, drivers are advised not to panic but cautioned to be vigilant and adhere to the relevant traffic codes and road safety protocols”.
