Deyda Hydara: A Friend Remembers

Sunday, April 20, 2008

By Adelaide Sosseh

Today, Monday 24 January [2005] marls the 40^th day of the passing of Deyda Hydara, co-proprietor of The Point newspaper. We mourn his loss. We grieve with his wife, children, family, relatives, friends and colleagues. We regret that the Gambia has been robbed of an illustrious son. We sob that the Gambia our beloved country is sinking into the quagmire of fear, doubt, suspicion, insecurity and helplessness. We witness again that the truth is being tested, for we may never know what led to Deyda’s murder.

All we can do is ask: But why? Why Deyda? Why the killings, the shootings and the arson? Why the murkiness? Why the slithering shadows, which emerge from the dark to do deeds and then disappear without a trace? Why is this happening in the Gambia?

The Gambia that was so peaceful that peace became its hallmark and led to the identification of Gambians as peace-loving people. It was this peace that received international acclaim and lured others to seek refuge here or to live in the

Gambia

and made all other shortcomings pale into insignificance.

The sniper’s bullet on that fateful night once again dented the peace we value so much. Ricocheting out of the dark to destroy not only Deyda’s life but also to leave indelible scars on the bodies and minds of the innocent young passengers in his car and to strike once again the chords of fear and insecurity in the minds of Gambians.

To millions of people – Gambians and non-Gambians alike – Deyda did not deserve to die this way.

Death is an inevitable end that will come when it will come (Shakespeare), but not this type of death please. However, there is someone out there who for whatever reason believes that Deyda deserved this type of death. That he got his just deserts and that he deserved to be gunned down.

We, the majority of peace-loving Gambians and our friends, sympathizers and well-wishers living in and outside the Gambia, abhor this dastardly act. We say ‘no’ to street justice and to the taking of innocent lives. We want to walk in the streets, to go to bed safe and secure from snipers, armed robbers, thieves and rapists. We want our women and children to be protected from this type of violence. Ida Joof and Niang Sarang were not protected – they became victims of a crime of terror.

While we cannot wind back the clock, we can insist that we maintain values and norms of a past Gambia. This is the Gambia where gates and front doors of houses were left open even at night to ease entry of guests and strangers; the Gambia that did not have real fences but ‘portes’ to facilitate movement from one compound to the other; the Gambia that motivated families to cook the extra cup of rice for the unexpected stranger. This was a Gambia that promoted faith, love, charity and hope; when a complete stranger was housed, clothed and fed until he or she found their bearings; then other people had jurisdiction over other people’s children.

This was the Gambia in which Deyda and I grew up in Jollof and Portuguese Town Ward, now Banjul central.

Deyda lived in

Hagan Street

(Now Daniel Goddard Street) same as ours. He became a friend of my first cousin Joseph Gilikou who lived at

10 Leman Street

(

ECOWAS Avenue

). That was how he became a protégé of my aunt Tata Aubi Caroline Keita nee Goddard who registered him (Deyda) at the “Foyer” or Alliance Francaise located on

Picton Street

. The two boys Joe and Deyda went to school together, played together and were inseparable until Joe went to live in

Togo

. Deyda’s natural mother Halima Faal of the blessed memory recognized the love that Tata Aubi had for Deyda and called her “Yayi Deyda”. This special relationship continued until she relocated to Senegal but Deyda was always the first to bring gifts when she came to the Gambia. They maintained and relished the relationship until his demise. Tata Aubi “Yayi Deyda”, please accept my deepest sympathy on the loss of your adopted son.

In later life, Deyda served as a board member of Worldview. His contributions were not only useful, but were also constructive and concrete. He was a man with a mission and a vision. He was a pioneer, a man who had the courage to stand up and be counted as having an alternative view. He was shot down in the prime of his life. However, his contributions remain a legacy that will make him a legend.

We will miss him dearly. His loss is a great one, not only to the Gambia but also to the continent as a whole. I extend my deepest sympathy to the staff and subscribers of The Point newspaper and especially to his long-time friend and colleague Pap Saine and to the entire media fraternity.

To his wife and the children, I say: Those we hold mostly dearly never truly leave us; they live on in the kindness they showed, they comfort they shared and the love they brought into our lives. May his soul rest in perfect peace! Amen.

Deyda Hydara: A Friend Remembers

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