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Abuja Press Conference on Gambia Day of Action
Friday, 23 July 2010 02:15
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in partnership with
Amnesty International and the West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) held a press conference on July 22, 2010 at the conference centre of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) as part of civil society’s campaign and awareness strategy on the degrading human rights situation in The Gambia. The press meeting that was tagged “Freedom day in the Gambia is a travesty” was carefully scheduled to coincide with the national holiday of the Gambia; fondly called “Freedom Day”.The press conference was attended by all media categories - from print, audio to video media outlets. Equally in attendance were key civil society organisations and activists that have been monitoring the decaying democratic architecture of The Gambia over the years.
The opening remark came from the president of Nigerian Union of Journalists who equally doubled as chair of the press conference. The president thanked the press and civil society for congregating to show sympathy with the people of The Gambia as they celebrate their national day in little freedom and increasing repression.
On his part, the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, expressed regret over the deplorable level of human rights abuses in the Gambia. He pointed out some of the prevailing challenges encountered by civil society activists in the country as including arbitrary arrest, detention, unfair trials and poor prison conditions. He implored the media and civil society in West Africa as a whole to come to the rescue of journalists and human rights activists working in the Gambia as they remain highly vulnerable to the ruthless claws of the regime.
Speaking on behalf of civil society in West Africa, Prof Oumar Ndongo, the General Secretary of WACSOF, expressed the shared sympathy of the West African civil society family with the people of The Gambia who yearn for increased dividends of democracy. He emphasised that civil society has a cardinal role in the current democratic dispensation in the Gambia and appealed to the authorities and political class to create an enabling environment for peaceful coexistence between state and civil society and for consolidation of regional democratic gains.
The panellists condemned the witch-hunting tactics of the Gambian Government that has forced many Gambians and even migrant workers to leave the country for fear of their safety. They called on the Gambian authorities to respect all their obligations under duly signed and ratified international frameworks. Unequivocally, the panellists called on the Government of President Yahya Jammeh to stop all forms of harassments, intimidation and extrajudicial execution of promoters of democracy, good governance and human rights. Also, they called on President Yahya Jammeh to establish an adequately resourced independent human rights commission, abolish the death penalty, commute all death sentences to terms of imprison and above all, to respect the rule of law by stopping enforced disappearances and bringing those guilty of human rights violations to book.
The press conference ended with not only a series of questions and answers but also with one to one interviews of the panellists.
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Comments
Kafuta, if outsiders will come and teach the journalist how to write bad about The Government, then they surely won't get a place here. But if they come to teach journalists how to write better, how to find and make stories, how to analize political decisions and be very objective-I don't think anyone would ask them out. The GPU should work with Gov, NGOs n private sector to create these opportunities for journalists. Are you outside the Gambia, do you have the means to send one young Gambian or journalist to university abroad? Or can you start a company in Gambia and employ 10 young people? this is what 'small Gambia' needs. Not negative attention.
I think all this is overblown hype, it is counter productive and I see no way this will change the status-quo. You don't rectify a wrong by another wrong. This is why we need to get our young people educated, we need to attract tourists in to the country, we need to help bring in investors etc. Yes the independet newspaper is no more, but you have other media houses like Foroyaa, Today Newspaper, Business Digest and others doing a good job. I don't bury my head in the sand to pretend like its all okay, but what's the point whining when I can get up and do something positive for me and my country men inspite of what leader I have.
Badara, I see you outlining your greviences. What are you going to do now? Lets do a little analysis, online papers like 'freedom newspaper' and others have continually wrote bad about The Gambia, for quite a while now. What have they achieved, NOTHING productive apart from scaring tourists away from the country. It has got to be more objective, it has to be about recognizing the faults, and working towards solutions. Think about the artist who can no longer sell his piece of work because tourists are not coming or they don't spend. I have no problem voicing out faults, but do it objectively and consider the impact on the people.
@ Abdou, we can acknowledge all the wrongs, I am in no position to assert that disappearance of people is 'enforced' by the present regime. If you have evidence, well then push it to the right channels. My point is, as responsible citizens we cannot ignore 'mal-practices' or a bridge of democratic principles. However, the we go about solving our problems could in fact be the wrong way. I don't see the point of demonising the president and The Gambia. That is very subjective, I expect people to echo objective criticism and offer solutions. Making us look bad to the rest of the world is not a solution, it is in fact a problem. This has not worked and I doubt it will. Change strategy
I believe the above statement will continue to be true of Gambia for as long as that "one man show" continues in Banjul.We cannot just exchange our human rights for buildings and bridges.
Muhammed, this last part of Badara's statement, I guess, explains it all. Despite your expressed worry about the bad press, which I beleive Jammeh shares with you, your acknowledgement of the fact that there are problems in Gambia put you at a gr8 danger on Gambian soil.
Now this is what all these demonstrations are about.
Compare the situation in neighboring Senegal and you will see...
What is your point?
When people continued to disappear if they use the power of media to voice grove malpractices in government. When educated folks/students are gun down for just pointing out their shortages. When the ruler spends unaccountable millions to bribe the electorate. When a ruler said he cure HIV, He publicly hijack/engaged/profited in private ventures. Such a nation is extremely counterproducti ve in attracting what you suggesting. Stand by Denton bridge with a placard of what you posted here 4 an hour and tell me am wrong?
Am sorry to burst you bubble of ideas for progress and development but i think you are putting the cart before the horse.What people are complaining about Gambia are FACTS,not overblown hype.Are we supposed to forget so easily the recent concluded charade of show trial? Is the death sentence passed on nine of our fellow citizens just a trivial matter?
Have you ever seen the the change of guards at Mile 2 prison? More than two platoons of SOLDIERS are deployed to guard political prisoners at mile two and that is just the officially known location for detainees! Nobody wishes for this negative publicity for our country abroad,but if people were free to express themselves at home,there would not have been any need for overseas publicity.You are aware of what precisely has happened to independent media in The Gambia so why bury your head in the sand? Or are you one of those folks for whom life is all comfy and good and others are just full of complains?
However, I am not sure how you think such a move by whoever it is can be achived. The people who can do this aren't being given the chance. The GPU is besieged, the 'outsiders' with the fund who would be highly ready to help in terms of financing can't come and do this in Gambia, because the governemtn would be expecting them to teach journalists how to obey Yahya Jammeh... this is the problem, Mr Muhammed.
I would be very much interested in hearing how you think we can do this... Thanks!
However, I must also register my concern over meetings and rallies held outside the Gambia with notes that make it look like The Gambian people are in pot of hell. I think there is gross mis-representation of happenings in the country and a few cases are blown out of proportion to blind people from other realities on the ground. It is true that people have disappeared, but it is highly unfair to make it look like The Gambia is an unhabitable state. If you so much care about the people, use the power of the media to bring in projects that are beneficial to human existence. Help students get education scholarships, or even some of the local journalists to further build their capacity. This is what is more urgent in an economy where many live below the poverty line.
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