Gambia's female team goalkeeper dies in the Mediterranean sea while crossing to look for greener pasture in Europe
How sad it is to hear the demise of the goalkeeper of the
Gambia's national ladies' football group while trying to cross the
Mediterranean with the hope of beginning another life in Europe, this was made
known to AFP by her previous coach on Wednesday.
Fatim Jawara, known to have been only 19, was one of the
passengers of a vessel that kept running into trouble in the Mediterranean a
month ago while crossing from Libya to Europe.
She and other 3,300 illegal migrants who have lost their
lives in its waters this year, as indicated by figures from the International
Organization for Migration.
As goalkeeper of the ladies' national side, known as the
Scorpions, Jawara had made her introduction a year back in a friendly against
another team from Glasgow, Scotland.
“Her death is untimely, but we will remember her for her
great performances on the pitch,” said Chorro Mbenga, who was the assistant
coach of the national under-17 side where Jawara made her achievement and knew
her well.
According to sources, Jawara is said to have left the Gambia
in September to cross the Sahara and set out toward Libya, where most African illegal
migrants start the ocean intersection to Europe.
Gambia Football Federation President Lamin Kabba Bajo told
AFP: “We are grieving at the moment as this is a great loss to the national
soccer team and the nation.
“She will be remembered for saving a penalty kick in a
friendly encounter involving the national soccer team and the Glasgow Girls
from Scotland.”
Statistics shows that Gambians are the fourth largest collection
of arrivals to Italy by number as indicated by the IOM, in spite of being one
of Africa's littlest countries with a populace of around 1.8 million.
According to Gambia’s information minister, “mass murder of
young African migrants on European beaches and waters” in its thinking is the
reason why the country pulled back from the International Criminal Court a week
ago.
It called the absence of activity by European countries to
ensure transients making the intersection a "racist genocide" and
assaulted the ICC for neglecting to arraign their leaders.
In any case, Gambian President Yahya Jammeh expelled the
monetary stresses of Gambian migrants a year ago, contending in a broadcast
address that "true Muslims" would empower their children and little
girls to accept up occupation open doors which are accessible at home.
In actuality 60 percent of the populace live in neediness,
and a third get by on $1.25 or less a day, as indicated by the UN.
