By: Kebba AF Touray
Families of December 30th Attackers held a press conference preceded by a memorial service, at the Law Faculty on Saturday 13th January 2018.
The well attended event was meant for the victims’ families to recall the memories of their loved ones, who lost their lives during the incident of that fateful day and to share ideas, with a view to bring justice to their loved ones.
Speaking at the occasion, Yassin Jobe, Mother of late Captain Njarga Jagne, paid tribute to the 30th December Coup plotters, describing them as heroes who have lost their lives for the sake of their country.
“Their mission was to salvage the country and her people from the tyrannical and oppressive rule of the former regime, which was done in good faith”, she said. She saluted the loved ones for their heroic actions and called on the current regime to do everything in ensuring that they are served with the requisite justice.
Metta Njie, mother to the ring leader of the victims Colonel Lamin Sanneh, broke into tears as she recalled that fateful day and renewed her call for Government to hand over the corpse of her son for a befitting funeral. “Despite the painful lost, I am delighted that my son and his colleagues died for the sake of their country”, she said.
She continued that her son lost his life and she was also imprisoned for 8 months and 25 days because of his actions; that since the death of her son, she has neither set eyes on his corpse nor does she have any idea regarding its whereabouts.
The family of the late Army Sergeant and Commando Alagie Jarga Nyass, in their statements said he resigned from his post in 1995-96, having realized the bad governance of the former president. “Efforts to stop this monster started on the 11th of November 1994. In light of this, Lieutenants Bah, Sainey and Barrow, and Sergeant Ceesay, Colonel Ndure Cham and co, Ousman Corro Ceesay, Deyda Hydara among others, deserved a heroic salute and recognition as they died in the struggle to bring to an end the iron fisted rule of ex-president Jammeh”, said the family
“The December 30th incident in which innocent people were detained, tortured and even killed, has prompted the people to rise up, sensitize each other through the social media and voted for change. This is the change we are all enjoying today”, said the family.
The family, in its statements, recognized the efforts made by the current government in identifying the burial site of the victims such as, Alagie Jargne, Solo Sandeng, but expressed concern over their dead bodies and thus challenged the regime to hand them over to their families for a proper burial; that without this, their efforts will be regarded as “unhealed wounds”. The family further appealed to Government to facilitate the recovery of the seized properties by the past regime, to the rightful owners which the statement added, is still being held by the current regime.
All speakers who took the podium saluted the efforts of the 30thDecember attackers and called for justice to be served on them; that their corpses be returned to their families for proper funeral rites.
