A Sense of Disappointment
By Amadou Manjang
As The Gambia commemorates the April 10 and 11 student massacre, victims and their families are once again marking the occasion with deep disappointment, as they are yet to receive any reparation from the government.
Marie Therese, whose son, Emily, widely known as Kalisto, was shot and killed during the tragic events of April 10 and 11, 2000, expressed her frustration, saying, “We, the victims of Jammeh, are disappointed by this government. Nine years have passed since the change of government, yet we have still not received any form of reparation.”
Marie emphasised the government’s failure to provide adequate support to the victims, stating that their pain remains unaddressed.
“What has the government done to show that they care for us?” she questioned. “I don’t even think President Adama Barrow knows who the victims are.”
On April 10 and 11, 2000, 14 innocent students, including Marie’s son, were brutally killed by security forces during a student demonstration. Despite the passage of 25 years, Marie’s grief has not subsided, and she believes that reparation should come before reconciliation. While she is open to forgiving the perpetrators of her son’s death, she stressed the importance of receiving reparation to continue her life with dignity. Therese also condemned the continued presence of some of the alleged perpetrators within the current government.
“The reparation is long overdue,” she said. “Victims are dying one after another, and we need reparation before we all pass away.”
Marie, a handicapped single mother, now survives on two meals a day. She sells sweets and bread to make ends meet.
“I am no longer able to work because of my age,” she explained. She had previously taught at St. John Clunny Nursery in Lamin. Aside from the D100,000 token she received from the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), Marie has not received any further assistance from the government or other sources.
“I want my reparation. All the victims need is their reparation because we are dying one after another,” she lamented.
Marie pointed out that some victims are forced to rent or live with others due to their dire circumstances, and many of them are in fragile situations. She hopes the government would engage directly with the victims to demonstrate their support and sympathy. To her, the delayed reparation signals the government’s lack of interest in addressing their needs.
“We are tired of waiting,” she said. “We urge the government, in the name of God, to provide us with reparation, no matter how difficult it may be.”
Marie also expressed her belief that the prosecution of the perpetrators should not hinder the process of reparation.
“They need to consider us as soon as possible so that they can help solve some of our problems and ease our pain and suffering,” she added.
Reflecting on her hopes for the new government, Marie shared how she believed the Coalition government would address the issues that Jammeh’s regime had ignored.
“That’s why I voted for the Coalition in 2016,” she said. “When Adama Barrow won, I was very happy. Despite my old age, I was on the streets celebrating and dancing.”
Sainey Senghore, a survivor and President of the April 10/11 Memorial Foundation, also expressed disappointment, noting that families of the victims continue to mourn without answers, while survivors are left to live with trauma, physical disabilities, and neglect.
“The cries for justice continue, but little has been delivered,” Senghore said.
The April 10/11 Memorial Foundation has called on the government to provide financial reparations to victims and survivors, as well as urgent and long-term medical, psychological, and social support for those still living with the aftermath. The foundation has also urged the full and immediate implementation of the recommendations of the TRRC, as well as the declaration of April 10 as a national public/school holiday in memory of the fallen and survivors.
Furthermore, the foundation is demanding that the government pursue justice by prosecuting those responsible for the killings, torture, and unlawful detention of students, regardless of their current or past positions.
“The pain and disappointment have not gone away,” Senghore stated. “We cannot move forward while leaving survivors behind. Justice must not be selective. Healing must not be delayed. And memory must not fade.”
