Gambia: Jailed opposition leader freed on bail

By Alieu Manneh

BANJUL, Gambia (AA) - Ousainou Darboe, leader of Gambia’s main opposition United Democratic Party who was serving a three-year jail term has been freed on bail by the country’s Court of Appeal on Monday.

Darboe and 18 other members of the party including 11 executives were jailed for leading a peaceful demonstration on April 16 for the release of fellow party member Solo Sandeng, who, it was announced later, had died in state custody a day earlier.

The human rights lawyer, who told journalists his role model was Nelson Mandela, said he had forgiven the country’s strongman Yahya Jammeh who lost in the presidential election on Dec. 1.

“I have forgiven him [Jammeh],” Darboe told journalists in a packed courtroom. “What he has done to me personally, I have no problem with that.”

Darboe and his colleagues were sentenced on July 20 but they boycotted the trial claiming “executive interference into the court procedures”.