Gambia, ohh Gambia....dead penalty

Hours after the world cried of outrage on the reported execution of nine (9) of the forty-seven (47) death row inmates in The Gambia, the government of Yahya Jammeh issued a statement read on national TV GRTS at 8pm, to deny "rumours and speculations" on the President's Eid message (which by the way were no longer current news), but moreover to WARN people that the "peace and stability must at all cost be preserved and jealously guarded."

My disappointment is that the serious issue at hand was not being addressed: Were the nine (9) inmates executed or not? No one seems to know in Banjul, I spent hours on the phone trying to get reliable "independent" confirmation or denial from both government and others. It  seemed no one knew anything, must were hearing the news for the first time. I knew more than people breathing the Banjul air.

I felt sad, and I feel bad, angry as I write these lines. All day long, I kept praying this news wasn't true. But up to the time I am posting , I gathered no other information denying the executions.

Here is the statement a good friend, I spent the whole day harassing, took pains to text me. It was painful but hey guys, am worth it (winks :):

"The government of the Republic of The Gambia hereby informs the general public that contrary to the widespread rumours and speculations on the pronouncement made by His Excellency the President of the Republic on the implementation of the death penalty in The Gambia, it wishes to state for the records that such irresponsible spreading of information is wrong.

"The laws of the Gambia on the death penalty are very clear and provide. Section 18 (1) of the Constitution of the The Republic of The Gambia states:

" No person shall be deprived of his or her life intentionally except in the execution of a sentence of death imposed by a court of competent jurisdiction in respect of a criminal offence for which the penalty is death under the laws of The Gambia as they have effects in accordance with subsection (2) and of which he or she has been lawfully convicted."

"In due compliance with the provisions of the law as above, it follows that all persons on the death row have been tried by the Gambian courts of competent jurisdiction and whereof convicted and sentenced to death in accordance with the law. They have exhausted all their legal rights of appeal as provided by law.

"The general public is hereby warned that the peace and stability of our beloved nation as regards the protection of lives, liberty and property of individuals must at all cost be preserved and jealously guarded." End

Anyway, the government published what it thought was fit in such a situation. I think this statement is irrelevant after the "execution of the nine inmates".

I have been wondering since receiving this statement, is it slow reaction on the part of the Gambian government or is it just wilfully ignoring issues at hand.