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Independent investigation into Chief Manneh’s disappearance demanded
Wednesday, 23 March 2011 20:38
President Yahya Jammeh’s recent utterance suggesting the death of disappeared journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh continues
to spark international interest on the highly thorny issue.The UK based Campaign For Human Rights in Gambia has written to UK’s Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, William Hague MP, requesting for an independent investigation on the disappearance of the journalist.
The letter is reproduced below:
CHRG writes to UK Foreign Secretary for indepedent investigation into the disappearance of Ebrima Manneh
William Hague MP Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs King Charles Street London SWIA 2AH
23 March 2011
Dear Secretary of State,
This letter is in support of Chief Ebrima Manneh who was arrested by government security forces in July 2006 for allegedly attempting to reprint a BBC article critical of the Gambia government prior to the African Union Summit in Banjul. Manneh who has now become a victim of enforced disappearance has still not been accounted for despite been sighted in government custody. We appeal to you to press the Gambia government to come clean on the fate of Manneh as President Jammeh recent comments suggested that the journalist is death despite the government previously denied any knowledge of Mannehs whereabouts. “Let me make it clear the government has nothing to do with the death of Chief Manneh or Deyda Hydara or the disappearance of so many people, Jammeh said during a meeting with the media Wednesday 16 march.” President Jammeh’s statement implies knowledges of Mannehs fate that has not been communicated to the International Community or publicly. In previous public comments Former Minister of Justice Marie Firdus and her successor Edward Gomez have all consistently denied any knowledge of mannehs detention,and whereabouts. The Campaign for Human Rights in The Gambia UK would also like to draw your attention to the arrest of Saja Fatty,Bunka Jarumeh Fatty,Kebbanding Fatty and Karamo Kejera citizens of the Gambia who are been held in custody in Basse Police Station in the interior of the country and denied bail,(now released) for displaying the flag and posters of the Gambia Moral Congress at the family compound which higher authorities ordered to be removed and the family refused to comply. In doing so they have committed no criminal offences under the laws of the Gambia.GMC is a legal political party in the Gambia and no laws were broken by the Fatty family. On Monday the 7th of march 2011 Basse Police Station in the Upper River Region of the country arrested the parents of GMC leader Barrister Mai Ahmed Fatty on superior orders,contrary to law. (CHRG) believes that the four members of the same family were arrested on the direct order of President Jammeh as part of his continuous tactics to instil fear in the minds of supporters of the newly formed GMC which has enjoyed support from local people in the URR. In the last 16 years Jammeh has moved to dismantle leading figures of Gambia’s opposition political parties and have confined them to a political prison run by the most feared National Intelligence Agency. Gambia is a place where dissent has been put down,with varying degrees of brutality,for decades since 1994.Torture is rife and dissidents are intimidated,kidnapped,and killed,hundred of political prisoners are languishing and dying in jail following hasty trials held in utter disregard for the most elementary rules of fairness and justice,cruelty is dispensed regularly for the sole purpose of instilling fear in the population. We` ask you to intercede with the President of the Gambia,to urged that an independent investigation been conducted into the disappearance of chief Manneh,Deyda Hydara and others and urged that those detained without trials are swiftly released and are not taken to court on bogus charges. We further ask you to press the Gambia government to initiative moves to ensure that all Gambians ,including journalists,opposition activists,and human rights defenders have equal access to the protection of the law and that judicial investigations and proceedings against them are conducted in accordance with international law and standards for fair trials. Finally,we ask that you call upon the Gambia government to halt police harassment against people of the Gambia for exercising their constitutional rights as the country heads to the poll in September this year. I hope that you fell able to make these humanitarian representation to the leaders of the Gambia and that you will advice us at your earliest opportunity
Thank you
Arthur West Chairman Campaign for Human Rights in The Gambia UK(CHRG) www.gambiacampaign.org
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Cc: Gambia High Commissioner UK,
Executive Secretary ECOWAS,
Faith Pansy Tlakula, African Union Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression,
The Honourable Richard J. Durbin, US Senator,
Media Foundation for West Africa,
Amnesty International,
Freedom Now,
All Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group(APPHRG)
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