The soldiers made them lie on the ground, then they beat them and stamped on them with their boots

By Zainab Jobarteh
Renowned traditional drummer Kebuteh Jafuneh loved to entertain crowds and many who remember him have described his talent as phenomenal.
That is why President Yahya Jammeh wanted him in his camp. There was no doubt that Kebuteh pulled crowds when he played his drums at political rallies. Being an election year, Jammeh would certainly want the services of the skilful artiste to help boost the numbers at his rallies, but Kebuteh would not switch sides. He was an ardent supporter of the opposition, particularly the United Democratic Party (UDP) and always accompanied the entourage of UDP leader Ousainou Darboe on campaign tours and meetings.
In September 1996, as Gambians prepared for the first presidential election after Jammeh seized power in July 1994, Ousainou Darboe was coming from a campaign rally in provincial Gambia. According to Kebuteh’s wife Aja Kassa Janneh, Darboe was informed that Yankuba Touray, a member of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC), and a group of soldiers were waiting for them at Denton Bridge, which separates Banjul from the rest of the metropolis.
“By the time Ousainou Darboe got the information, his vehicle had already passed Denton Bridge, but the vehicle carrying my husband and other supporters of UDP was a bit behind. They were stopped and asked to step out of the vehicle by Yankuba Touray and the soldiers. They were beaten with whips and gun butts, and the soldiers walked all over their bodies with their boots,” Aja Kassa narrated.
Kebuteh’s daughter, Mariama Jafuneh, said her father came home after three days with broken ribs and a broken back. “He never walked again. We took him to hospital, but he died a few months later.”
The family’s account of what happened to the famous drummer was collaborated by several witnesses who testified at the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC).
The attack at Denton Bridge came up several times in June, 2019 during sessions dedicated to testimonies of opposition leaders and supporters. One witness, Omar Darboe, said that on that day, a group of soldiers stopped a truck carrying about 100 UDP supporters on the bridge. One of the soldiers shot out the vehicle’s tyres.
“They forced us out of the vehicle, hitting us with gun butts,”said Omar Darboe. “Among us were women. They told us to undress and we did. We were asked to lie down and they were stamping on us. They stamped on every side of our bodies, including our heads. They were wearing boots. They were in full uniform.”
Dr Sheriff Ceesay, who treated 115 people who were attacked on that day, told the commission that “one phenomenal drummer”died as a result of his injuries. Due to doctor-client confidentiality, Ceesay said he could not name the drummer. However, it was clear that he was referring to Kebuteh Jafuneh.
Ousainou Darboe, who has led the UDP since 1996, said several of his party’s brutalised supporters told him that former junta members Yankuba Touray and Edward Singhatey led the attack at Denton Bridge.
He said he believed some of them, among them Kebuteh Jafuneh, died as a result of the torture they suffered at the hands of he soldiers.
“And I was told that Yankuba Touray was among the people who were torturing and brutalising these people, and I was told he was wearing a uniform. I heard this information from several people,” said Darboe.
Dembo Touray told the commission he was in the vehicle with Kebuteh when they were stopped and attacked.
Kebuteh’s two wives and 14 children suffered after his death. At that time, opposition parties, although legal, were criminalised by the Jammeh regime.
Since the drummer was a known opposition supporter, his family was discriminated and their rights violated. Mariam said the family struggled financially and was the target of hate speech by Jammeh’s supporters.
“I can remember when the results were announced in the first presidential election in 1996, we locked ourselves in our rooms because our house was stoned.”
Does the family expect justice now that Jammeh is out of power and his abuses are being uncovered? Mariam is not sure, saying her family gave up on the justice system in The Gambian a long time ago.
“They have forgotten about us and everything we went through while Jammeh was in power,” she said.