By: Alieu Ceesay
Dozens of Gambians, including survivors of the brutal 2016 crackdown, took to the streets on Tuesday in a solemn march from Bamboo to the Westfield Youths Monument, demanding justice for victims of state violence, faster reparations, and comprehensive electoral reforms.
The procession, organized by the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of party veteran Ebrima Solo Sandeng, drew youths and elders alike. Many participants wore yellow shirts associated with the UDP, though organizers stressed the event transcended party politics. Banners carried powerful messages: “Justice for victims,” “We need better electoral reforms,” and “Reparation process is slow.” Other placards read “From sacrifice to sovereignty. Solo spirit will never die” and highlighted themes of courage and national renewal.
The march paid tribute to the dark events of April 14, 2016, when peaceful protesters demanding electoral reforms were met with severe repression under the dictatorship of then-President Yahya Jammeh, who is now in exile.
Solo Sandeng, the UDP’s National Organizing Secretary, was arrested that day along with dozens of others. He was last heard from by his family shortly before his detention and later died in custody after being tortured by state security forces, including personnel from the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
During the commemoration, victims and their families shared harrowing testimonies near the sites of their arrests and beatings. Alhagie Kafu Bayo, one of the survivors, recounted: “We were just standing and PIU officers came up and surrounded everywhere. They told us that we are under arrest. I asked them, “What have we done?” An officer hit me with a baton. I blacked out. They took us to the PIU and ordered us to be killed.” He added that he was further maltreated and beaten at the state intelligence office in Banjul.
The voices of the victims were heavy with emotion as they spoke, evoking the lasting trauma of that day, which remains a painful chapter in Gambia’s political history.
Honorable Sulayman Saho, lawmaker for Central Badibu, addressed the gathering, declaring, “Justice for victims. Solo never dies.” He emphasized that the ongoing fight for justice keeps Sandeng’s legacy alive.
Aji Sidibeh of the UDP Youths Wing described the march as more than a symbolic procession. “As a young woman in leadership, we carry the responsibility that the legacy of these heroes is not only for sorrow alone but a duty to ensure such brutality and injustice never occur in our society again,” she said. She added that the event symbolized a shift “from silence to voice, from fear to courage,” urging Gambians to remain committed to Sandeng’s ideals.
Pa Manneh, the UDP’s National Campaign Manager, was blunt: “Betrayal is a choice.”
UDP leader Ousainou Darboe reinforced the call for change, stating: “Gambians are ready today more than yesterday to ensure that we have proper electoral reforms for this country.”
The event unfolded amid broader demands for accountability and reform more than a decade after Jammeh’s ouster. Families of those killed or tortured under security operations remembered their loved ones, describing pains that “would last forever.” Organizers framed the march as a reflection on the need to condemn all forms of brutality and to accelerate the national reparation process for victims of past abuses.
The commemoration highlighted the enduring spirit of resistance in The Gambia. As participants dispersed, the message was clear: the sacrifices of Solo Sandeng and his fellow activists continue to inspire calls for a more just, democratic, and reformed nation where such atrocities are never repeated.
