Sections
DONATE
SUPPORT WWW.JOLLOFNEWS.COM
Account Login
GPU calls for sustained campaign on missing journalist
Wednesday, 07 July 2010 22:43
Four years since his enforced disappearanceThe Gambia Press Union (GPU) has called for a sustained campaign on the continued disappearance of Gambian journalist, Chief Ebrima Manneh.
Ndey Tapha Sooseh, President of the union, in statement appealed to the Global media community, human rights groups and concerned individuals and institutions “to join us in our quest for Justice for Chief Manneh. JUSTICE LONG OVERDUE.”
Today, July 7, 2010 marks four years since the young journalist went missing, reportedly arrested by members of the Gambian Intelligence Agency (NIA). He was the sole breadwinner of his extended family which comprised his ailing parents, siblings and other family members.
Former colleagues of Mr Manneh reportedly saw him escorted away by state security agents from the premises of the pro-government Daily Observer newspaper, where he worked as a senior editor and State House Correspondent.
The Gambian government’s indifferent attitude to this bizarre case of disappearance by one of its citizens was characterized by its refusal to either comment on the matter or take any tangible action towards locating him. This appalled the Gambian press union which has been at the forefront of campaign to get the journalist released. And with the support of its international partners such as the Accra based Media Foundation for West Africa, the GPU subsequently filed a suit at the Community Court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). And in June 2008, the ECOWAS Community Court ruled in favor of Mr Manneh and ordered the Gambia Government to immediately release and compensate him with US$100,000.
But, “the Gambia Government, who refused to cooperate with the Court, never acted on the Court Order and remained mute over the matter until March 2009, almost 2 (two) years since his disappearance and a ten month silence following the ECOWAS Court Verdict to make public mention of their stance on issue of the State’s involvement in the disappearance of Chief Ebrima Manneh,” the GPU statement released Tuesday, said.
Citing a former Gambian Justice Minister, Marie Saine Firdaus’ claim, that the State did not have Chief Manneh in their custody, the union statement insisted that a pronouncement of Chief Ebrima Manneh not being in State Custody was not in its own enough exoneration.“Today,” it added, “we again take the opportunity to remind the Gambia Government and its relevant Security Apparatus that it is the responsibility of the State to ensure the protection of life and property, thus the disappearance of any Gambian should be an issue of paramount concern.”
“We therefore urge the relevant authorities to do everything within their power, to ensure that investigations into the disappearance of Chief Ebrima Manneh commence forthwith,” the statement said.
“The Union also calls on its membership at home and in the Diaspora to help sustain the campaign on the disappearance of Chief Ebrima Manneh. So far, all efforts by the Union, the Media Foundation for West Africa who took the case to the ECOWAS Community Court, friends of the Gambian media and the Manneh family has borne little or no fruition,” the statement concludes.
Jollofnews Poll
Who do you think should be the next President of The Gambia?
Follow us on Twitter
-
Teenager drowns in River ThamesA teenage boy dies after getting into difficulty in the River Thames at Oxford.
-
Muslim Brotherhood seeks unity ahead of Egypt runoffCAIRO (Reuters) - The Muslim Brotherhood is reaching out to rivals including politicians knocked out...
-
Bristol Rovers Speed Merchant Could Be Racing To Posh(GamSports) – Peterborough United are thought to be one of a number of Championship sides...
Comments
I do not know if Chief Manneh is alive or not, but certainly whatever happens to him, those responsible will pay for it; no doubt about that...
RSS feed for comments to this post.