Former presidential candidate Essa M Faal has on Tuesday condemned President Adama Barrow and other African leaders for refusing to speak out against the killing of African migrants who were trying to break through a border fence between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla.

In a statement that is currently making the rounds on social media, the famous lawyer-cum-politician said he was shocked and angry at the brutality, inhumane and degrading treatment the Moroccan security personnel meted out on the migrants including Gambians.

According to him, recent reports indicated scores or even up to 100 migrants were savagely beaten to death and hundreds more were injured. He argued that this by itself constitutes a massive crime and an egregious human rights violation.

"I did not make a statement when I saw the shocking video for I thought that this is so significant that our government would do something about it whether or not there was a Gambian victim. Unfortunately, AFRICAN governments remained mute and carried on with business as usual as if nothing untoward had happened. What a tragedy and betrayal of the AFRICAN youths by African governments especially those from sub-Saharan Africa," said Essa.

He continued: "But we must ask the question why should we allow our countries to be so dreadful that our young and able-bodied people would rather die in these perilous journeys to escape to “greener pastures” or safety rather than remain at home. The simple answer is a lack of opportunities or protection. We must change!"

The former presidential candidate said The Gambia’s biggest resources are the Gambians in the diaspora and its youthful population. These two, according to him, must be harnessed for the advancement and development of the country and its people.

Meanwhile, several international organizations in Europe and Africa are demanding a probe into the treatment of the refugees and migrants as they attempted to cross the border.

But the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the incident “an attack on the territorial integrity of their country in a violent manner”.