The Gambian man who took on a tyrant and made history

In our bid of letters from African journalists, Sierra Leonean-Gambian writer Ade Daramy pays tribute to a antheral whose decease astir 7 years agone arguably changed past successful The Gambia.

Ebrima Solo Sandeng was not successful the accepted mould of an African state fighter. He was not an Amílcar Cabral, liberator of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, oregon a Thomas Sankara, the anti-imperialist revolutionary who led Burkina Faso - 2 men slain earlier their life's enactment was done.

But arsenic an absorption person successful The Gambia helium stood up against tyranny erstwhile precise fewer dared to bash so. This week - astir 7 years aft his execution - helium was honoured astatine a authorities funeral.

Sandeng's combat was against the tiny West African nation's electoral laws - authorities designed to perpetuate oppression and unfairness, allowing then-President Yahya Jammeh to stay successful bureau indefinitely, having initially travel to powerfulness pursuing a coup successful 1994.

He was angered that the interest to contention arsenic a statesmanlike campaigner had risen from 10,000 Gambian dalasi ($161; £132) to 500,000 dalasi ($8,050).

In addition, absorption candidates were lone fixed 2 weeks to run and diagnostic connected the nationalist broadcaster, portion the president's nationwide meet-the-people tours were fixed broad coverage.

In April 2016, equipped with thing much sinister than a megaphone, the 57-year-old led a march demanding change.

But successful afloat presumption of the public, and caught by mobile telephone cameras, helium and immoderate different marchers were manhandled, arrested and bundled into a vehicle.

News soon emerged that they had been beaten, tortured and, successful Sandeng's case, it was feared helium had been killed by members of the notorious National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

Two days aft his arrest, erstwhile helium had not been produced successful tribunal and with the rumours gathering pace, his household and members of his United Democratic Party took to the streets, demanding that they wanted him backmost "dead oregon alive".

Disappearances and killings were not uncommon for those considered a thorn successful the broadside of Mr Jammeh's regime.

It could beryllium argued that his decease and the march that took spot 2 days aboriginal were the pivotal events - they lit the spark that yet led to Mr Jammeh losing the statesmanlike predetermination 8 months later.

People had simply had enough.

After initially refusing to budge, Mr Jammeh yet went into exile aft his decision and the repressive measures utilized during his 22 years successful powerfulness were exposed by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) acceptable up by the caller government.

Evidence fixed astatine the TRRC led to the find of Sandeng's assemblage successful Tanji, a tiny sportfishing village.

The corpse was exhumed successful 2017 and, astatine the petition of the lawyer general, forensic experts were employed to analyse the remains.

They built a lawsuit against his killers, with grounds that the abrasions and traumas connected the remains proved helium had been tortured to decease and had not died of "shock and respiratory failure", arsenic a fake decease certificate that aboriginal emerged stated.

In July past year, the High Court convicted 5 members of the erstwhile NIA - and the doc who provided the decease certificate - for their relation successful his killing.

Sandeng's widow and his 9 children ne'er fto his representation slice and were successful tribunal erstwhile they were convicted.

NIA main Yankuba Badjie and 4 of his operatives were sentenced to betwixt 5 and 10 years for assorted offences. The doc was sentenced to 10 years for forgery.

For those wanting to bring planetary attraction to Sandeng's case, helium was hailed arsenic The Gambia's Steve Biko, a notation to South Africa's renowned anti-apartheid activistic who died successful detention successful 1977.

But for astir Gambians helium is remembered arsenic an mean antheral who showed bonzer bravery.

His relative said helium had been warned that his march could beryllium dangerous, but Sandeng had replied: "Please don't counsel me; I volition combat to the end. This is simply a constituent of nary return."

The turnout astatine his ceremonial this week attests to this courage. It was attended by his household and galore different dignitaries, including elder furniture ministers.

Though a mates of ironies were noted connected the time helium was laid to rest.

The ceremonial rites successful the capital, Banjul, were conducted astatine a monument primitively built to commemorate Mr Jammeh's coup. Known arsenic Arch 22 (the fig being a notation to the day of the coup, 22 July 1994), it has since been renamed Never Again Arch.

And for each the good words and the eulogies, the electoral laws Sandeng fought to alteration and died for are inactive connected the statute books.

The astir fitting memorial to the antheral considered a leader successful The Gambia would beryllium to repeal them.