By Oumie Mendy
Several residents of Foñi on Friday gathered in Kanilai to renew calls for the Gambia government to bring the killers of Haruna Jatta to justice.
The convergence was called to commemorate the 5th anniversary of Haruna’s killing.
Jatta was shot in June 2017 during a peaceful protest by communities in Foñi against the presence of Senegalese forces under Ecomig stationed in the area.
Last year, his widow Rohey Jatta openly called on the government to investigate his death and bring the culprits to justice.
“We will continue to pursue justice for Haruna Jatta,” the NAM for Foñi Kansala told journalists shortly after the prayers for Haruna Jatta.
“We want to know who killed him and we want his killers to be prosecuted. We want them to be brought to justice and a compensation paid to his family,” Honourable Almameh Gibba said.
The Kansala NAM said the government should without delay respond to Mr Jatta’s family’s call for justice. “They need justice and closure now,” he demanded.
He said the youth association has a certificate showing evidence of the cause of Haruna’s death and two years ago, the association wrote to the president and ministry of justice seeking for justice but they didn’t receive any response.
“It is very disheartening that anything about Foñi and its people is not taken seriously by this government. This is a serious concern that should be addressed now,” Gibba said.
“The people of Foñi are no longer accepting this, enough is enough. We will take actions that will be determined by the people of Foñi,” he added.
Rohey Jatta, the widow, said she needs closure. “I want to know who killed my husband. Period,” Madam Jatta told The Standard. “I want to see his killers in court and now”.
The Foñi Youth Association has been reportedly taking care of Jatta’s family’s needs since his death.
