The Government of Gambia regrets the death of the young Gambian Abdoulie Bah, who was shot by the Police at the Gran Canaria airport last Saturday, after allegedly attacking an officer with a knife, and has asked the Government of Spain to investigate the events.
In a statement, the Gambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its "deep sorrow" for the "tragic death" of the young man, who was 19 years old and had shown symptoms of mental problems in the days prior to the events.
"The Government of Gambia deeply regrets the loss of a young life in such tragic circumstances and expresses its solidarity with the bereaved family of Mr. Bah and the Gambian community in Spain," the Ministry notes.
According to the statement, which was published this Thursday, the African country has conveyed its "serious concern" to the Spanish authorities, particularly regarding the "lethal force".
"A request has been made for a thorough judicial investigation, transparent and independent of the facts that led to the death of Mr. Bah," the Ministry asserts.
"The Ministry will continue to monitor the investigations into the matter and will also continue working with the Spanish authorities to ensure that this type of accident is avoided in the future," it added.
The Gambian embassy is currently in contact with the family of the deceased young man to manage the repatriation of the body so that it can be buried according to Muslim rite and, in addition, has sent the second head of the diplomatic mission to Gran Canaria.
Bah, who arrived in the Spanish archipelago in a small boat in 2019, was shot dead on Saturday at a bus stop at the Gran Canaria airport by five officers of the Spanish National Police, who tried to subdue him after he threatened a taxi driver and another citizen with a knife.
In the scene, which was recorded by security cameras, it can be seen how, at one point, the young man allegedly lunges with the weapon against an officer, who falls backwards, and his colleagues shoot.
The events are currently under investigation by a court that will assess whether the officers' response was proportionate to the danger that Bah represented.
Under the slogan "it is not a death, it is a murder", half a thousand people responded this Thursday to the call for a gathering by the Federation of African Associations of the Canary Islands and the Association of African and Afro-descendant Women in front of the Spanish Government Delegation in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, capital of the island, to demand "a transparent investigation, justice and reparation".