It’s been 17 years since the alleged shooting and brutal killings of over a dozen student protesters by security forces of the former regime, and with the new government reopening all sorts of cases and exhuming bodies, what about justice for the young people who got severely injured and lost their lives, in April 2000, for a noble cause?
Indeed, the victims of this horrible crime were mostly young Gambians, most of whom without doubt would have grown up to become responsible citizens of this great country.
Unfortunately, though, 17-years on, justice is yet to prevail.
And to shadow such a grim crime, the former government, known for its brutalities, introduced the Indemnity Act, designed to prevent justice from taking its rightful course, designed to make sure the perpetrators of such acts are free like birds in the air, and designed to traumatise families and loved ones of the victims of April 10/11, who continue to agonizingly weep in sorrow, over the loss of their loved ones.
Comfortingly, Gambians still have fresh accounts of April 10/11, and are demanding perpetrators be brought to book.
The latest and welcoming demand happened on Monday, when the families of the victims, together with hundreds of young people including students, took to the streets demanding justice.
And yes, we do want justice, nothing more. And because when ‘justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.’
As we continue our anxious wait 17-years later, let us be more determined to continue pushing the rightful authorities to act swiftly and bring an end to almost a two-decade misfortune, for closure, and for peace of mind for families of victims that ‘red letter day.’
“Justice may be blind, but she has very sophisticated listening devices.”
