By Ramatoulie Jawo
The Solo Sandeng Foundation on Thursday commemorated the 14th April 2016 peaceful protest on the theme- ‘form words to action.
The foundation this year collaborated with the National Human Rights Commission, Gambia Police Force, Ministry of Interior and Civil Society Organizations for the occasion.
They discussed the TRRC recommendations on the Security Sector Reform in The Gambia, preparedness to carry out reforms within the police pending the Government whitepaper, and the possibility of boosting the capacity of the police crowd control and de-escalating situations.
In his welcoming remarks, the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Emmanuel D. Joof said the commemoration is very important because it’s dedicated to a life matter.
He added that Ebrima Solo Sandeng was ‘brutally’ killed in the custody of the National Intelligence Agency under Yahya Jammeh on the 14th April 2016, after leading a peaceful and non-violent protest that sought for electoral reform and the end of impunity against citizens of the Gambia.
Fatoumatta Sandeng, daughter of the late Solo Sandeng who is the President of the foundation via zoom said his father sacrificed his life for The Gambia to be free from a dictatorship.
She said that April 14th 2016 was not one man’s day, saying ‘it was a day for all the Gambians to be free from a dictatorship’.
Aboubacarr Gibba, representative of the Ministry of Interior said the Security Sector Reforms is a very important programme for the Gambia Government because it would bring the impacts of the development they are doing.
Mariama Jobateh, the Founder of Fantanka said the police should be trained properly so that they will know how to deal with the people.
The Chairman of TANGO, John Charles Njie talked about the role of the Civil Society Organizations in implementing the Security Sector Reforms.
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He said all Civil Society Organizations should stick to the truth, if they want the country to go forward because they should not be favouring anyone, but to tell the truth.
The Solo Sandeng Foundation is a non- profit and non-partisan institution that propagates the core values of Solo Sandeng killed while advocating electoral reforms on 14th April 2016.