Remembrance for Oury Jalloh

The tears of more than 150 people over the terrifying death of Oury Jalloh poured in the city of Dessau on Saturday 23 June 2007 when heavy rains and thunder joined in the struggle to demand justice for the black man.

At exactly 14hrs people from different cities in Germany and of different nationalities gathered at the front of the main train station in Dessau to once again protest against the appalling events surrounding Oury Jalloh's untimely shocking death.

Oury Jalloh a 23year old young man from Sierra Leone died on 7 January 2005 in a police cell in the basement in Dessau, following his unnecessary brutal arrest by two police officers Mr. Schneider and Mr. Maerz. Reason for his arrest?? Identity verification. In spite of the fact that the police were aware of Mr. Jalloh's valid and legal status here in Germany. He was nevertheless forced into the police car by officer Schneider who illustrated the events of that fateful arrest in court during the week of 27 March 2007, and that was the last interaction for Oury Jalloh with the outside world . Undressed of all Human Rights and dignity, Jalloh was handcuffed and forcefully ushered into the deadly police station and mercilessly delivered to the police chief Mr. Schubert.

Mr. Schubert in turn racially mocked and rebuked Oury Jalloh's status on the telephone with Dr. Bloedau following Dr. Bloedau's complaints of difficulties in tracing veins from the black skin, having been requested to check Jalloh's medical status by the police. Mr. Schubert's mocking advice to Dr. Bloedau was to "carry along a tube" with jeering laughter at the black African as he was termed.

In his opening remarks and details that moved the crowd, Mr. Yufanyi Mbolo began with the agonies and challenges that surrounded the predicament of Jalloh's death. He reminded everyone that on the oders of Dr. Bloedau, Oury Jalloh was tightly fixed on a fireproof mattress on the floor heavily chained both at his hands and feet and then blazenly and heartlessly burned to death in the custody of the police officers.

He continued with how the death procedure was reiterated in court that week of 27 March 2007 by the two officers M and Schn. who were responsible for Oury Jalloh's arrest, conducted the grievous bodily harm of tightening his body in a constrained and despicable manner, then left him in the basement for dead.

Mr. Yufanyi continued that a person heavily chained to that extent and the police's intentions to fool the world into a suicidal death, because Oury Jalloh can no longer speak for himself is abominable, vehemently disputed by the African community, the Human Rights activists and all members of the community who hold the well being of humanity at heart. And the sole reason for today's demonstration.

He continued that many of us have witnessed the Oury Jalloh's process in the Honourable court in Dessau and we have seen how the case is being run off - course by the Honourable court criminalizing Oury Jalloh as unfit in society, in the eyes of the press, the various organisations that attended court, his friends and sympathisers and in particular his mother and brother who travelled all the way from Guinea to witness the horrible events that stole their loved one and a born and bred African national.

The fact that all police officers obstructed justice in court by denying events, dates and crucial details in respect with the case, conferring with one another in the course of the trial and trying to unsuccessfully cover it up, and that the Honourable court seems to follow suit by tolerating the lies, the contortion and destruction of the police is representation that the judicial is not independent. And that if we do not come out stronger each day and portray the whole controversial suspected murder of one of our own to the whole world, the whole incident might just be turned into a family feud right under our noses and we shall be faced with worse grievous challenges in future as a black people in the Diaspora and at home.

Yufanyi reiterated that we are all Oury Jalloh, let not any one of us make a mistake to identify him or herself as an individual in the eyes of these people. To them we are like flies one can never differentiate a female from a male. So whichever land that you may belong to in our dear African continent, here we are one and the same,

Oury Jalloh is us and we are Oury Jalloh.

With that in mind Yufanyi maintained that we should not only look at it as a demonstration event in Dessau, rather wherever you live in Germany continue to declare and pronounce the facts surrounding Oury Jalloh's terrifying death and the course the court is embarked on to see to the freedom of its people when we are always left for dead, criminalised and grievously punished with severe penalties no matter how insignificant the impact of the offence. And that Dr. Bloedau should never be let off scot free. A person who has practised medicine for years and has vowed to save lives rather on this occasion gave a directive for Oury Jalloh's fixation and detention. Whether it was a conspiracy with the police, Dr. Bloedau must be brought to justice, if not, let us fight to bring justice to him.

With those words the procession began its journey once again marching steadily through the now infamous city of Dessau. People from Bochum, Jena, Frankfurt, Goettingen, Berlin, Billefeld, Nuremberg, Duesseldorf, Dortmund and many more continued pouring in and no sooner did the March begin than the massive rains that powered immediately accompanied by heavy rocking winds as if to blow off the ghastly uncleansed airs of injustice surrounding the city of Dessau.

Tears of sorrow and torture of the African people continued pouring when the people braved the heavy rains and continued with the slogan of "Oury Jalloh -- Das was Mord, Oury Jalloh -- Das war Mord" ( "Oury Jalloh -- that was murder") over and over again, oblivious to the deep paddles that formed all over the streets right straight into their shoes, oblivious to the body soaking cold and uninterrupted waters falling from above. As if a humongous tap was continuously opened in anger and in determination to portray and protest against the injustice that has befallen the black people since Africa was invaded many centuries back.

The procession continued once again to where Alberto Adriano met his fateful end, beaten to death by racist extremists in the centre of Dessau where people held a one minute silence and sung in remembrance of another innocent brother whose only crime like all the others was the colour of his skin.

The microphone never rested in spite of the heavy pouring waters people continued to proclaim the obstruction of justice, the conspiracy surrounding the deaths of Africans in Germany. They continued that no matter the viciousness and the continuation of the modernised slave trade and modernised colonialism of the determined aggressors, the African community vowed that it is equally to the task of defending and fighting for its existence and the freedom of the mother continent AFRICA.

We reject to continue living in deception of the organised international community disguised in terms of global funding as in development Aid handed down to the African dictators who in turn transform its peoples into refugees all over the world. Only to get burned alive in the basement in police cells in Dessau, shot at point blank by the same police officers of the aggressors in the middle of the streets as Dominique Koumadio in Dortmund, discriminated against to meet their fateful deaths in various ways under the hands of the people alleging development Aid which in reality is advanced or modernised colonialism.

The procession continued without much threatening incidents from the Dessau residents or the police though some people raised their windows shut, others waved the German flag through their windows in retaliation, portraying ignorance and lack of knowledge that it is indeed the aggressors who invaded Africa and triggered the dispersion of the African peopel from its peaceful mother continent.

The number of the police force was increased this time, their vehicles were countless and the dark green uniforms were spotted all over the city. Although some on motorbikes soaked wet like the rest of the other human beings, many of the police ducked straight into their vehicles to avoid getting soaked. As if these heavenly waters would ever come anywhere close in comparison to the fires of hell in the basement of the police station in this city Dessau on 7 January 2005. Or any other atrocities befalling the African person around the globe. The sun had long returned to dry up the soaked bodies and a whole good hour was once again spent on those last fateful steps that saw Oury Jalloh to his towering inferno in the police station.

Flowers were laid on the steps as a sign of agony, remembrance and peace for the rested soul. Another one minute silence was also observed for Mario Bichtermann who died in the same cell in the basement in November 2002.

Dominik Kuomadio 23yrs (Kongo) who was shot to death on 14 April 2006 in the streets of Dortmund by the police, Laye Konde who was killed again by police brutality in Bremen on the same day that Jalloh was also burned. John Achidi (Nigeria/Cameroon), killed in Hamburg, Osamuyi (Nigeria) our recent shock from Spain killed again by the Spanish police in a deportation attempt representing the conspiracy of the white people to finish off the Africans. All their souls were remembered and grieved for.

The residents in Dessau were more alert this time and many onlookers followed and gaped at the moving procession. The press and the reporters were not intimidated by the heavy thunder, cameras kept rolling all through the rain.

The procession returned peacefully to its original spot at the main train station Dessau at exactly 17hrs and concluded with more loud voices of solidarity and togetherness to save the African continent from perishing. SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON.

Compiled by Regina Kiwanuka from (Uganda) and proud to be an African.

This article was published first by :: The Voice Refugee Forum