23 August 2016: Gambian opposition member dies under detention
According to official statement released by main Gambian opposition party, another of their activists has died in custody. The United Democratic Party said that it is the second such case in five months. Social tensions have been increasing since security crackdown initiated by Yahya Jammeh government has started in May. Solo Krummah – the victim – died shortly after surgery for an undisclosed disease at the Edward Francis’s Small Teaching Hospital in the capital, Banjul.
Solo was arested in May (with dozen others activists) during demonstration organised by opposition parties who have been calling for electoral reforms. They claim that such changes should be introduced before presidential polls in December. Another victim was Ebrima Solo Sandeng who allegedly died of ‘shock and respiratory failure’.
The government and hospital have not yet explained the circumstances concerning the latest tragic accident. This situation is even more dubious because neither activists nor Krummah's family were given any information about his medical condition and were "repeatedly denied access to him while he was arrested.
Yahya Jammeh, former military, ruler has been in power since 1994 as the result of military coup. Since then he rules Gambia with an iron fist. Jammeh strongly refuses to take into consideration any propositions about term limits. « I will rule for a billion years » - that is his the most often riposte when he criticizes suggestions about « refreshing » and modifying political scene in Gambia.
The presidential election will take place on December 1.
