Ousman Rambo Jatta

Ousman Rambo Jatta, alias Rambo, is the Councilor of Old Bakau in Gambia.^[1] Gambia is a republic, ruled by Yahya Jammeh.^[2] Jammeh took power in 1994 through a military coup and many human rights groups accuse Jammeh, of putting his opponents, political repression and rigging polls, behind bars.^[3]

In 2006, Ousman Rambo Jatta was a member of the United Democratic Party (UDP) who protested against the suspected misconduct in the Gambian Presidential Election in 2006. Jatta claimed that a group of people, traveling in two Army vehicles, which were on their way to vote, were, instead of Gambian soldiers, non-Gambians dressed in military uniforms to illegally vote for Yahya Jammeh for tribal reasons. The consequence of this accusation resulted in the arrest of Jatta on 23 September.^[4] According to Jatta's lawyer Ousainou Darboe, the arrest of Jatta was based on Baboucarr Jatta's testimony where he stated that "it was an indisputable fact that Jatta were in State custody". He also claimed that there was a gross violation of the Constitution of Gambia.^[5]

Ousman Rambo Jatta was held in prison for a year. According to the Human Rights organization Amnesty International, Jatta was under arrest because of unspecific national security charges. After the release on Friday, 19 October 2007 of Jatta, he told Reuters that he was happy to be back with his family and he thanked God for the release.^[6]

In 2008, Ousman Rambo Jatta was elected as Councilor of Old Bakau. Even though the same government, who arrested him two years earlier, still has the power he entered the election and won.^[7]

References

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