>From: panderry mbai <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: AS APRC CELEBRATES  11 YEAR  RULE, GAMBIAN JOURNALISTS CRY OUT FOR
>JUSTICE ON DEYDA'S MURDER!!!!!
>Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 23:11:02 +0100 (BST)
>
>        BY PA NDERRY M'BAI
>   While the Ruling APRC government is today celebrating  its 11 year in
>power,  the gruesome murder of journalist Deyda Hydara  is still hanging on
>their heads.   Hydara one the country's leading journalist was ambushed
>and murdered in cold blood seven months ago,  by  armed men believed to be
>a  pro government group calling itself the "Green Boys".   Since his
>gruesome murder in December of 2004,  theJammeh administration had not
>apprehended his killer(s).   As the regime observe  its so called 11 year
>revolution, which toppled the democratically elected government Sir Dawda
>Kairaba Jawara,  former Gambia Press Union president Demba Ali Jawo is
>calling for "serious investigations" into Deyda's death.  In an exclusive
>interview with journalist  Pa Nderry M'Bai, Mr.Jawo dismissed the
>government's so called confidential report on Deyda's death describing it
>as an attempt to "paint a black picture" on the untainted credibility of
>the late Hydara.   DA Jawo also commented about the
>  issue of censorship and the atrocities carried out by the pro government
>group the "Green Boys."   Below is the full text of the interview.  Please
>read on......
>
>QUESTION:   The Ruling APRC government is today celebrating its 11 year in
>power and yet the killer (s) of journalist Deyda Hydara are walking in the
>streets of Banjul as free men.  As the Jammeh government celebrates this
>day, what message is GPU sending to the regime?
>
>DA Jawo: Well we are calling for serious and thorough investigations into
>the death of Deyda Hydara.   It's over seven months and there is nothing
>substantive for the investigations.  We are really concerned for the lack
>of progress on the investigations.
>
>DEYDA THE GALLANT   DA JAWO SAYS HE WILL
>JOURNALIST.                 NOT BOW DOWN.
>QUESTION:   Recently the government came up with what it called a
>"confidential report" on Deyda's death.  The report contained damaging
>information on the person of the late Deyda Hydara.  In short,  the
>government accused Hydara of unethical conduct as a journalist prior to his
>murder.  What do you make of the government report?
>
>DA JAWO:  It's very unfortunate that the government had issued such a
>statement.  It was a deliberate move on the side of the government to paint
>him black as they could just to hide behind such malicious allegations
>against Hydara.
>
>QUESTION:  Are you implying that the government was only interested in
>smearing the image of Deyda and nothing else?
>
>DA JAWO: Indeed.  They failed to address the issues at hand.  It's not
>Deyda's character which is the issue, because everyone has his own private
>life.  The real issue here is who killed Deyda Hydara and why?
>
>QUESTION:  Now tell me, to what extent have the Gambia's media suffered in
>the hands of Jammeh administration?
>
>DA JAWO: Of course to large extent.  The very fact that media houses have
>been burnt down, journalists have been threatened and now Deyda has been
>murdered and yet nothing had come out of it. The climate for Free media in
>The country is very bleak.
>
>QUESTION:  When do you last speak to Deyda Hydara?
>
>DA JAWO:  Unfortunately, the very night he was killed, was the very day i
>returned in the country from abroad. So I do not have the opportunity to
>see him or talk to him.  I last talk to him before travelling
>
>QUESTION:  What type of person was Deyda Hydara?
>
>DA JAWO:  A very harmless person, whose sole objective was to perform his
>work as a professional journalist.  That was why, i suspect that  if
>anybody would want to kill him.  I see no reason,  what he must have done
>to deserve such treatment.
>
>QUESTION: It's reported that Deyda had been talking about his possible
>murder by the government prior to his killing.  It's on record that, he
>even one  time said he will be more than happy to be killed while serving
>his country as a journalist.
>
>DA JAWO:  Yes, i have been hearing him making such staments.  That makes me
>wonder whether he actually knew something we did not know.
>
>QUESTION:  I gathered that the death of Deyda had created an atmosphere of
>self censorship among local journalists.  That many are increasingly
>worried about their safety.   How would react to this report?
>
>DA JAWO:  Of course, it has negative effects on the media in this country.
>Some journalists have decided to leave the country and others have started
>censoring themselves in order to avoid endangering their life.
>
>QUESTION:  You are considered as a critic of the Jammeh administration.
>Now that Deyda Hydara had been murdered, are you not worried about your
>safety?
>
>DA JAWO:  Since Deyda's death there has been a lot of pressure from my
>family members and friends urging me to leave the country for my safety.
>
>QUESTION:  Why are you not heeding to their call to leave the country?
>
>DA JAWO:  I definitely do not have the intention to leave.  That would mean
>am abdicating my responsibility to the country.  I know being a journalist
>in Africa carries a lot of risk.  But I'm prepared to face those risk.  And
>whoever may have killed Deyda may have that intention of scaring us away.
>I'm not ready to bow down to their scheme.   We have a mission for this
>country.  We should not allow ourselves to be intimidated by anybody
>whether assassins, thugs or whatever.
>
>QUESTION:  Who are these people calling themselves the "Green Boys"?  They
>are linked with all kind of atrocities in The Gambia.
>
>DA JAWO:  We honestly don't know who these people calling themselves the
>"Green Boys".  We suspect that they have some kind of relationship with the
>government.
>
>QUESTION:  I gathered that your request to include members of civil society
>and civic groups  in Deyda's murder protest march was denied by the
>Inspector General of Police.  How true is this report?
>
>DA JAWO:  Yes, to some extent it's true.  Our intention was to make it a
>broad base solidarity march including civil society and other organisations
>in the country.   But the police gave us a condition that only journalists
>will take part on the march or else they will not issue us with permit. So
>we were faced such a dilemma. Eventually, we have to accept their
>condition.
>
>QUESTION:  Could you tell us something about the Deyda Hydara Award
>Foundation?
>
>DA JAWO:  We have set up a foundation called the Deyda Hydara for freedom
>of expression.  We are on the process registering it as a charitable
>organisation with the objective of presenting awards to deserving young
>journalists.
>
>QUESTION:  On a final note, what does the future holds for Gambia's private
>media?
>
>DA JAWO:  The future is bright.  The fact that we have many journalists now
>is encouraging.   We are determined to continue to carry out our work
>despite against all odds.
>
>QUESTION: Thanks Mr.Demba Jawo for sparing your time to talk to  me.
>
>DA JAWO: It's my pleasure Pa Nderry.  You are always welcome.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>---------------------------------
>Does your mail provider give you access to messages sent to other POP email
>accounts, like your work account? Get Yahoo! Mail

_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE!
http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/

いいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいい
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
いいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいい