By Yankuba Jallow with New Narratives
Magistrate Dawda Phatey of the Bundung Magistrates’ Court delivered the conclusion of a coroner’s inquest that sought to answer troubling questions surrounding the death of General Bora Colley. Over the course of nearly a month, nine witnesses—ranging from senior military officers to family members and medical professionals—offered testimony about the final months of a man whose life once loomed large in The Gambia’s Armed Forces.
The coroner’s inquest into the death of Colley concluded that the former army officer died of natural causes while in custody at the Yundum Barracks Clinic. But the report, based on testimony from military personnel, family members, and medical staff, laid bare the Gambia Armed Forces’ failure to consistently provide essential medicines and injections to a chronically ill detainee.
The inquiry, conducted between March 24 and April 16, 2025, followed General Colley’s sudden death in custody on March 9 at the Yundum Barracks Clinic. He had been in military detention since August 2024, after voluntarily reporting to the Armed Forces, citing poor health and an intent to return home after years in exile in Senegal’s Casamance region.
The coroner’s final ruling put to bed any questions marks over the death: “There is no evidence that the deceased was subjected to inhumane or degrading treatment, nor any suspicious actions or omissions resulting in his death,” he said. “He died of natural causes.”
But beneath the clinical conclusion, the testimony laid bare a patchwork of substandard care.
Medical Oversight and the Final Diagnosis
Colley’s demise came quickly after arriving at the clinic. Dr. Elizabeth Innis, acting director of medical services for the Armed Forces, testified that Colley arrived at the clinic with visible signs of long-term illness—swollen limbs, fatigue, and dehydration. She diagnosed multiple conditions including heart failure, chronic kidney disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, and uncontrolled diabetes. He was under the care of specialists, she confirmed, but required frequent hospital visits beyond the capacity of the military clinic.
When his condition worsened in early March, medics attempted resuscitation for over 30 minutes. By the time Dr. Innis arrived at the clinic, it was too late. “He had no pulse. He was gone,” she said.
The post-mortem, performed by Dr. Ousman Leigh of the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, found no signs of external trauma or suspicious injuries. Internally, his heart was enlarged, his lungs filled with fluid, and his kidneys had shrunk from chronic disease. The cause of death was listed as “sudden cardiac death” due to hypertensive heart disease and systemic hypertension, compounded by diabetic nephropathy.
Years in Exile After Jammeh Regime’s Fall
Colley left The Gambia in 2016, around the time of the presidential elections and political impasse that ended President Yahya Jammeh’s rule. He had reportedly taken sick leave and was admitted at Bwiam Hospital. Afterward, he travelled to Casamance, Senegal, for traditional treatment and did not return to The Gambia during the transition.
Colley’s career stretched back to the early 1990s, when he joined the Gendarmerie and later the Gambia Armed Forces. His name would later be associated with the feared “Junglers” paramilitary unit under former President Yahya Jammeh, though no formal charges had been brought against him at the time of his death.
After the elections and the departure of the former president, Colley remained in exile in Casamance. It was not until August last year that he voluntarily returned to The Gambia, citing ill health and a desire to be home in case of death.
Sergeant Kebba Gibba, the first witness and a military police officer, recounted how Colley reported to the Yundum Barracks Charge Office on August 10, 2024, accompanied by his brother Sulayman. Gibba said he immediately observed signs of distress: swollen legs, labored movement, and barely audible speech. Colley was escorted back to his home overnight before being brought to the barracks clinic for treatment.
Major Amat Jangum, who commanded the military police, told the inquest that the decision to house Colley in the Anteroom—a facility for officers awaiting disciplinary proceedings—was due to his failing health. “He remained under observation,” Jangum said, adding that medical officers were involved early and the military covered some medical bills. But Jangum conceded that “sometimes, the family provided food and medicines.”
“He Couldn’t Even Get Up”: The Anteroom and Clinic Life
Captain Adama Saidy, who once served with Colley in the State Guard, described their shared time in the Anteroom. He said Colley’s condition was visibly poor. “He told me he was unwell. He couldn’t get up without help,” Saidy said. Colley was later transferred to the Yundum Barracks Clinic, where he spent his final days.
Private Alieu Njie, assigned to monitor Colley’s vitals and administer medication, described the day of his death. He said Colley had watched a football match and gone to rest before the second half. When Njie went to wake him, Colley was unresponsive. “I called him two or three times. No response,” he said. Efforts to resuscitate him failed.
Captain Salieu Sanyang, a senior medical officer, confirmed that Colley had been treated for multiple chronic conditions. “We managed him as best we could, but we were not supposed to handle his level of illness here,” he admitted. Sanyang acknowledged gaps in medication availability and said referrals to hospitals were routine due to the limits of their facility.
“We Had to Buy His Injections”: The Family’s Role in His Care
Kaddy Colley, the general’s half-sister, painted a painful portrait of the family’s role as both caregivers and financiers. “We bought the prescribed medicines, and we brought him food,” she said. On several occasions, she said she escorted him to Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital. She provided receipts to the court, detailing expenses borne by the family. “The army helped sometimes,” she added, “but there were many times we had to pay.”
Her account was echoed by Sulayman Colley, a cousin who helped the general report to authorities. “He complained that when medicine was prescribed, he was told it was unavailable. He had to buy injections,” Sulayman said. He added that the family paid people to donate blood when needed.
Still, both relatives stopped short of accusing the army of deliberate neglect. “He was not treated inhumanely,” Sulayman said. “But General Colley complained that when medicine was prescribed for him, they (the army) would normally tell him that there were no medicines and that he even had to buy injections.”
No Foul Play—But Serious Shortcomings
The inquest concluded that Colley died of natural causes while in lawful custody. But the coroner’s report identified critical lapses in his care—especially regarding medication availability and communication with family members.
In a solemn statement, Coroner Phatey laid out sweeping recommendations to prevent similar tragedies:
- Standardized Regulations for Military Detention: The magistrate urged the Gambia Armed Forces to establish formal rules for the treatment of detainees, especially those with health conditions. These should include guidelines for medical management and family engagement.
- Free and Consistent Medical Care: Citing Colley’s frequent complaints of unavailable medication, the coroner recommended that all prescribed treatment be provided at no cost to detainees or their families. “People in custody cannot seek medical help on their own.”.
- Family Notification Requirements: The magistrate sharply criticized the military’s failure to promptly inform the family of Colley’s deteriorating condition and death. Going forward, he recommended mandatory, timely updates to families regarding medical developments and death in custody.
- Family Participation in Burial Arrangements: In the event of a detainee’s death, the coroner urged that families be involved from the moment of death through burial proceedings.
For his family, his final chapter was less about politics and more about the burden of caregiving in a system unprepared to shoulder it. His sister, Kaddy, offered a simple reflection: “He returned so that if he was to die, he would die.”
This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project.
