THE RULE OF LAW AND LAWLESSNESS OF THE JUNGLE
Senegal and The Gambia are states with constitutions founded on the principles of the rule of law. The constitutions are designed to protect fundamental rights including the right to life and due process when it is suspected one has fallen foul of the law.
It is not infrequent for cases of shooting of victims resident in the border areas of The Gambia and Senegal for reasons yet unknown to those who believe in the rule of law. One expects that when a transport with Gambian number plate is found in Casamance by Senegalese security officers who suspect the driver and those on the transport who are suspected of unlawful conduct should be arrested and taken before Senegalese courts for trial.
The driver who is the subject of this report left the transport in Casamance and escaped with gunshots. He does not know the whereabouts of the transport. Proper coordination between Senegalese and Gambian authorities would have led to the tracing of the owner of the transport and joint actions taken to see to it that justice is done and recurrence is prevented. There is need for state to state discussion on how to prevent the lawlessness of the jungle of prevailing in the Gambia-Casamance border. It does not promote close ties between the two countries. It has to be nipped in the bud once and for all.
