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     EDITORIAL


  The death of  Gambian photo journalist Momodou Tarawally,  has been announced. Mr.Tarawally, widely known as "Tara" died on Monday, after a  brief illness. Mr.Tarawally, a pious Muslim, friendly and down to earth was working at  The Gambia daily.

  Tarawally, was one of those photo journalists,  who received  numerous overseas training. He was very close to the GPU, even though monster Jammeh,  and regime were bent on censoring the pro-government Newspaper.  Tara, was not the type who could be censored. He was  our client at the Point, as we published some of his perceived  controversial stories.

  This editor, received series of emails, from friends and former colleagues of  Tarawally, who were equally devastated by the tragic death of  Tara. One of them is  journalist  Bunja Touray. Touray, your statement on Tara, is very touching and as such I must publish it for our readers to know who Tara was."Hello Pa,just write to inform you of the sudden and sad dead of Momodou Tarawally commonly called Tara of  government-owned Gambia Daily Newspaper. I know you can remember him,because he was that humorous guy.Until his dead on Monday 9Th January 2006,Tara used to be the paper's State House correspondent.He died of brief illness.He is survived by a wife and blessed with five wonderful boys.I know you can imagine how closed i was with our departed colleague.I am working on a tribute for him which i will send to you in due course.May his soul rest in eternal peace and may Allah,Subhannah Wahtalla grant him jannah."said Mr.Touray

  Shocked by Bunja's mail, this what I told him in response"Shocking news bro,Bunja!!!! May God, preserve place for him in Janna. I received an email earlier,  from another colleague, informing me about the sad incident. Go ahead and write your tribute. I  hope you will forward it to us, so that we can publish it. I'm equally devastated by this shocking news. Later and have a  happy Tabaski.....

  Bunja's statement on Tara, was a  statement of fact. Even though it was a private email, I found it useful and informative to reproduce it for all to see. We will be unfair to Bunja, if we fail to give him credit for making such honest and sound appraisal on the life of  Tara. Bunja, as season journalist knows what, we are talking about.... We don't need his permission to reproduce such a statement made in good faith.

  Tara, was a good writer. He was fond of calling me "Ndokay" meaning my brother. Each time, he came to the Point to hand over his stories to Dedya, he will ask for me. He used to have a very good relationship with the late Deyda Hydara. His death will be badly felt by the media fraternity in The Gambia.

  Tara, is one of those journalists, who knows Yahya Jammeh, to   the tip of his finger. While his bosses takes Yahya as a "demi God" Tara was never intimidated by Yahya's arrogance. He was all the time focused and  asked questions with confidence.

  Though, there are some journalists turned "Griot" in the state media, Tara was not the type of journalist, who will sing the praises of Jammeh. He was there because he wanted to serve his country and not Yahya Jammeh, unlike   "Jali" Neneh Macdowl and Momodou Saynyang. He is gone, but will be remembered by his colleagues in the journalism profession.

  Tara, was all the time not happy with the growing injustice taking place in the country, even though he was working for the pro government  paper. The good thing about him was, that he succeeded in building a good rapport with local journalists.  As the saying goes"out of the lot, there are good ones. Tara, was a man of high sense of humour.

  Tarawally was engaged in photo work and news writing at The Gambia, Daily, just like his name sake BT Tarawally. We  want to  apologise to BT and his family for any discomfort, the first peice might caused to them. It was a  communication problem. It was not intentional at all. It is now confirmed that the other photo journalist BT Tarawally is alive. It  was Momodou Tarawally, who died and not BT. To err is humane,  and we want our readers, BT and his family to understand this fact.

  We will not hesitate to add that the qualities, we attributed to BT, suits him to the core and we do not care about how Yahya and his killers will react to it. Both Tarawallys are good people, as far as we are concerned.

  We joined the bereaved families to mourn our departed colleague Momodou Tarawally. May God grant him  eternal rest. Down with Jammeh and his government.

  The author is the former Secretary General of The Gambia press Union and also a former Voice of America radio Banjul Correspondent. Mr. M'Bai who now resides in the US State of North Carolina Raleigh was a leading political and crime reporter with the Point and Daily Observer newspapers respectively. He can be reached by email at the following addresses: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask]
















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