Families appeal to Gambian president to find missing victims of Jammeh's regime

Families of missing Gambian nationals during the regime of exiled former president Yahya Jammeh have petitioned the new president Adama Barrow to intervene in their search.

Among the missing victims of Jammeh’s regime is journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh who was a columnist and correspondent for the state-owned Daily Observer newspaper.

Manneh was arrested by security agents at his workplace in 2006 and according to local website Fatunetwork.net who spoke to his father Sarjo Manneh, he went missing.

“I went to the National Intelligence Agency and all police stations across the country. They said he is not in their custody,” his father told Fatunetwork while his sister, Adama Manneh said: “the matter has been filed at the Major Crime Unit at the Police Headquarters”.

The journalist’s family blamed President Yahya Jammeh for his disappearance and demanded for a probe into his whereabouts and release if found alive.

Another missing person is social worker Lamin Kanyi who disappeared over ten years ago after he was arrested by state security agents in front of his family. His family is still searching for him and also request the intervention of the new president.

Meanwhile, the families of Alhagie Mamute Ceesay and Ebou Jobe have sent out a statement requesting for information on the whereabouts of the two men who disappeared about four years ago.

Alhagie and Ebou are Gambian-born U.S. citizens who visited the country in 2013 to start a business, the statement published on Fatunetwork said. The two were reported to have been arrested on their way from a concert by state security operatives who later searched their homes.

“On their way home from the event, their car was stopped at the Burusubi checkpoint. The two were asked to get out of the car and were handcuffed and threw in the back of the pick-up truck. This was the last time they had any contact with the outside world,” the statement explained.

“This has been a long tough journey, and the family miss Alhagie and Ebou dearly. We are hopeful that this ordeal will soon end with your help!” the statement ended with their contacts in the Gambia and the United States requesting for help.

Adama Barrow has promised to release all political prisoners and set up a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate possible crimes committed by his predecessor Yahya Jammeh.