Former Staff Sergeant Bobb's Rebuttal To Rtd. colonel Samsudeen Sarr

Rebuttal to Colonel Samsudeen Sarr’s Misrepresentation of the First Gambian ECOMOG Contingent

Former Gambia National Army Staff Sergeant Ebou Bobb has strongly refuted the recent claims made by retired Colonel Samsudeen Sarr regarding The Gambia’s first contingent to Liberia in 1990, describing them as false, misleading, and fabricated.

“With utmost respect to my brother and comrade, Colonel Sarr, I am both shocked and disappointed by your attempt to rewrite a history you were never part of. You were not on the ground with us in Liberia, and your version of events is based purely on hearsay. As someone who physically served in that mission as a Platoon Sergeant, I can confidently state that your account is factually wrong and misleading the Gambian people.

We did not fly into Liberia by C-130 or helicopter as you claim. We departed from Ghana aboard the ship Tano River and docked at the Liberian seaport under the protection of Prince Johnson’s faction. There were no jet fighters bombarding Charles Taylor’s rebels, as you alleged.

The two gallant soldiers we lost — L/Cpl Lamin Bojang, a medic, and Pte Sama Jawo, my platoon runner and radio operator — were not killed during the harbouring stage but a week after capturing the Freeport. At that time, Liberia had no electricity, no functioning airport, and no safe landing zone for any C-130. The tragic reality was that there was no possible means to transport their remains back home, which left us with no option but to bury them with dignity on Liberian soil.

Furthermore, your claim of any planned coup meeting in Liberia is baseless and false. Such discussions never took place. We were fully committed to our mission, motivated not by politics or personal gain, but by love for our country and pride in carrying The Gambia’s flag as one of the youngest and smallest contingents in the ECOMOG mission.

Colonel Sarr, I urge you to correct your narrative. True history must be preserved by those who lived it, not distorted for recognition or self-promotion. As soldiers, our service was for country first, and our sacrifices speak louder than any attempt to rewrite the record.”