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GPU/USA Wants Justice in Chief Manneh Case
Monday, 18 July 2011 12:05
(JollofNews) - The United State chapter of the Gambia Press Union GPU/USA, has called on the Gambia
government to come true on the exact story of the missing journalist Chief Manneh, and stop further harassment of other journalists. This called was made in a strongly worded statement addressed to the press on the anniversary of the disappearance of Chief Manneh: Please read on:Chief Ebrima Manneh was on July 7, 2006 picked up from his work place at the Daily Observer offices by plain clothes National Intelligent officers. He was reportedly detained in various police stations across the country. The young journalist was never charged for any crime and to date, his family, colleagues and the public do not know his whereabouts or even if he is alive or dead.
Despite all efforts by the Gambia Press Union, international press organizations, the ECOWAS court and Human Rights groups, the Government of The Gambia still refuses to either produce Chief Manneh or account for his whereabouts.
July 7, 2011 marked five years since the young journalist's disappearance. The Gambia Government continues to be silent about Manneh’s arrest and subsequent detention. Despite evidence of reported sightings of Manneh in police custody and even though a recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States has called for his release and compensation, the Jammeh administration continues to ignore this ruling and deny holding him.
During the March 16, 2011 meeting with members of the Gambian media, the President spoke of Manneh's fate: "Le t me make it very clear," he said, "that the government has nothing to do with the death of Chief Manneh." This pronouncement did nothing to allay fears about Manneh's condition. Jammeh must do more than just merely explaining Manneh's disappearance away. He needs to truly account for the journalist.
The recent arrest and detention of the pro-government Daily Observer sports editor Nanama Keita and the overnight detention of GPU Managing Director Ahmed Alota and the newly elected secretary general of the Union Madi Njie without explanation are a clear testimony of the government’s continuous assault on press freedom and Gambian journalists.
The Gambia Press Union USA condemns in the strongest terms the continuous assault on press freedom and journalists in The Gambia. We demand forthwith that President Jammeh take the moral responsibility to ensure the following:
- Give full accounts of the disappearance of Chief Ebrima Manneh by unconditionally allowing the recently announced independent investigation by The EU and the Commonwealth Secretariats to fully investigate the case without hindrance.
- Fully cooperate and allow the independent investigators free access to government witnesses and files pertaining to the brutal killing of Deyda Hydara.
- Guarantee the safety and security of potential citizen witnesses including Deyda’s colleagues who are willing to provide evidence on his brutal murder.
- Fully commit itself to abiding by the results of the independent investigators, which should range from the prosecuting of the criminals who committed these heinous crimes against these innocent citizens to fully compensating the victims and their families.
- Repeal all draconian media laws in the books and allow the independent press to carry on its journalistic work without fear of harassment and intimidation.
We further call on the international community, in particular the ECOWAS, the African Union, the European Union, the Commonwealth, the United States State Department, the United Nations, among others, to exert maximum pressure on the Jammeh government to live up to its international obligations on human rights, particularly of freedom of speech and of the press.
We believe it is only through such measures that the Jammeh government would heed to international pressure to respect the rights of its citizens to the freedoms of expression, assembly, liberty and security.
Signed
For GPU-USA
Cherno Baba Jallow PRO
Demba Baldeh President
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Comments
Comment
Mandinka: “Ning Jallo singho beh lorring foorangho kang...aa bika jeh” -Nobody can find the drum stick being trampled under the foot of the very drummer who pretends to lost the drum beating stick”
One thing’s certain; yaya jammeh MUST tell Gambians & the world how he comes to know Chief Manneh, who was arrested by his disappearing-agents in presence of live witnesses, died without his government being responsible; & what happened to his body. We are WAITING!
Jammeh is reported to have claimed that Manneh drowned whilst trying to get to Europe. This makes Jammeh a very valuable witness for any future investigations into the Chief Manneh disappearance.
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