The victims of the former president Yahya Jammeh’s alternative HIV/AIDS treatment continue to narrate their ordeals before the truth seeking commission, saying the former president’s treatment procedure was salacious.

An unidentified witness, who joined Jammeh’s HIV/AID’s supposed treatment testified at the TRRC on Tuesday disclosing her illness and the predicaments that befouled her.
‘Yahya Jammeh killed us instead of curing‘

Speaking to the commission, the witness said, she was diagnosed with HIV/AID 1 and 2 over 14 years ago. The witness said, she lost her one month baby which she believes was due to her illness. As a result she was motivated to enroll at the former president’s alleged treatment in 2007.

‘When I heard the president declare on TV that he cures HIV/AID within weeks and Dr. Mbowe confirmed some patients they have cured, I joined the programme because I believed in him and because of his status and position as the president of the country saying he can cure the virus that is why I believe he can.´

Part of the treatment procedures, the witness said, the female patients were asked by the president to stripe naked and lay flat on their back to receive their massage treatment.

‘I removed all my cloths, I was completely naked and the president massages the medicine on every part of my body including my private part,’ she narrated.

The alternative treatment took series of violent forms of harassment which led to the death of at least nine people due to the heavy concoctions they were made to drink.

‘There are some people who suffered from bleeding, and those patients were neglected until there relatives came for them. I believe the medicine was responsible for their complications and the death of 9 other people.’

During the treatment program, participants of the programme were also made farmers and manual labourers.

The witness disclosed that they used to work at former president Jammeh’s farm at Kanilai.

‘We paid for the treatment with hard labour and pain instead of getting cured.’ She lamented.

After the completion of the intensive six months treatment, the batch participants were declared undetectable of the virus.
However, the witness said, she felt sick and her condition got worsened after her departure.

By: Sohna Tunkara