Share

Death toll from Gambia protest rises to three

A 24-year-old student who was hit by police gunfire at an environmental protest in western Gambia died on Wednesday, bringing the death toll from the violence to three, his campaign group said.

"Amadou Nyang, who was shot by Police Intervention Unit personnel during the protest, passed away at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital early Wednesday morning," said Pa Jobe, head of an association calling itself the Faraba Banta Village Development group.

Local people have been protesting at Faraba Banta, located about 50km south of the capital Banjul, over the mining of sand which is sold to the construction industry. The activity, they say, is badly polluting rice farms.

The violence occurred on Monday. Two other young men were killed, and six civilians and 16 police were injured, according to an official toll.

Six protesters were arrested during the demonstration, and Jobe said on Wednesday evening that five of them had been released "unconditionally", adding some had sustained injuries in the clashes.

* Sign up to News24's top Africa news in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TO THE HELLO AFRICA NEWSLETTER 

FOLLOW News24 Africa on Twitter and Facebook

Five police officers were also detained after the violence.

On Tuesday, President Adama Barrow - who last year succeeded the autocrat Yahya Jammeh - said Gambia was in "mourning" and that he had ordered a "full investigation" into the incident.

"The Gambia has been known for its culture of peace and stability, which makes it the pride of Africa," he said.

"There is no reason why we should resort to violence or illegal use of force to solve our problems."

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International issued a statement saying that, according to witnesses, demonstrators had been blocking mining-related road traffic when police reinforcements arrived and opened fire without warning.

The violence "conjured up painful memories from Gambia's recent past," said Sabrina Mahtani, West Africa researcher at Amnesty, referring to Jammeh's 22-year iron-fisted rule.

The two groups called on the government to step up reforms of the police, especially in the areas of training and equipment, to avoid such episodes in the future.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
42% - 388 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
58% - 532 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.2%
Platinum
910.50
+1.5%
Palladium
1,011.50
+1.0%
Gold
2,221.35
+1.2%
Silver
24.87
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE