Gambian Army Brigadier General Bora Colley has been buried in his home village, Foni Besse. He passed away on Monday night while in state custody, sparking calls from many for an investigation into his death. He was 61 years old.

Mourners remembered him as a devoted Muslim who rarely missed the five daily prayers at the village mosque. He was also praised for his generosity throughout his lifetime.

In his eulogy, Imam Jabbi said: “He was a devoted Muslim who never missed a prayer time. Looking at his face, you could tell he was a devoted Muslim.” He vowed that they would remain grateful to the late Bora and “we will remember him forever.”

Among the mourners was Almameh Gibba, spokesman for the five National Assembly members of Foni, who also remembered the deceased, stating that he was a devoted Muslim.

He fled with former President Yahya Jammeh in 2017 into exile. After eight years in exile in Guinea-Bissau, he returned to the country and handed himself over to state authorities upon his arrival. Since then, he had been battling an undisclosed illness.

He was also adversely mentioned in the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission by several witnesses, who accused him of being involved in alleged Jammeh-sanctioned human rights violations.

Meanwhile, the Gambian government has launched a coroner’s inquest into his death to determine the cause.

By Adama Makasuba