Gambia: Body of allegedly tortured activist exhumed

By Mustapha K. Darboe

BANJUL, Gambia (AA) - Gambian police investigators have exhumed the supposed body of an opposition activist, who died in state custody after a rare protest in the small nation on April 14, 2016.

Solo Sandeng was arrested when Yayha Jammeh was still president and reportedly tortured to death but his burial ground had never been communicated despite his family and party’s request for his body.

"The remains were exhumed on Saturday and it is currently being examined to ascertain his identity," Foday Conta, Gambia police spokesman, told Anadolu Agency.

Foday Conta added the body -- which was unearthed at a beach in Tanji, a coastal town about a 26 minutes from Banjul by car -- was currently being examined at the country’s main hospital, Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital.

Sandeng was at a protest for “proper electoral reform” and was arrested by riot police.

His death certificate, which was later leaked to local media, said he died of “shock” and “respiratory failure” though the circumstances leading to his death were not mentioned.

The Gambian opposition leader, Lawyer Darboe, and his executive members had been jailed for protesting for his release “dead or alive”.

Jammeh’s former Intelligence Chief, Yankuba Badjie, and eight others are currently indicted by state prosecutors for the death of Sandeng.

They are expected to appear before a High Court judge on Monday to answer to the charges of "murder" and "conspiracy to commit murder".