Please take to liberty to read and share this judicious reiteration of the
perils of the independent media and ordinary citizens in the hands of
Jammeh. Algi Yorro has definitely done justice to history herein
reproduced with his permission:


-- 
BambaLaye
Radio Free Gambia
www.freegambia.net


 ==========================================================================

The Gambia in the Hands of Jammeh: The Media, Human Rights and Foreign Policy

Since President Yahya Jammeh took control of the Gambia in a coup in 1994,
he has become a self-declared enemy of free press and his country's
authority on truth.

By Alagi Yorro Jallow
Posted April 2, 2007

The Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, 41, is a former wrestler and soldier -
a tough man to deal with, as the Gambian news business has discovered.
Journalists are still reeling from the murder of managing editor and
co-owner of The Point, Deyda Hydara, who was shot by unidentified
assailants while driving co-workers home Dec. 16, 2004. Hydara previously
had been threatened by the Gambia's National Intelligence Agency and was
under surveillance by the organization just a few minutes before his
death.
A statement from the Gambian officials came six months later. The
statement called Hydara "provocative," and suggested the journalist's
death was a result of his sex life.
When Jammeh was asked about Hydara's death in September, he denied
involvement, saying:
"I don't believe in killing people. I believe in locking you up for the
rest of your life. Then maybe at some point we say, 'Oh, he is too old to
be fed by the state,' and we release him and let him become destitute."
Since Jammeh took control in a military coup in 1994, he has been a
self-declared enemy of press freedom. He has shown contempt of human
rights and assumes a monopoly on truth and knowledge, which makes him
particularly hostile to contrary views.
"If I want to ban any newspaper, I will with good reason," he said in
response to questions concerning press closures and arrests. "This is
Africa and this is Gambia, a country where we have very strong African
moral values.....If you write,'Yahya Jammeh is a thief,' you should be
ready to prove it in a court of law. If that constitutes lack of press
freedom, then I don't care."
Following the 1994 coup, there was considerable negative reaction from
the, and aid was curtailed. Jammeh and his party, the Armed Forces
Provisional Ruling Council, [UM1]needed to find new allies and made
overtures to Libya, Taiwan, Cuba, Nigeria, Iran, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania
and Kuwait. This formed the basis of foreign relations for the Gambia
under Jammeh's rule.
In 1994, external donors, particularly Western nations and international
institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank,
were fostering democracy, human rights and "good governance." In line with
their rules against military regimes, most of the Gambia's traditional
donors cut off aid. Apart from the cessation of aid, however, the
international community remained fairly mute. The Gambia's lack of
economic resources meant that, internationally, it lacked political
influence and importance. By July 3, 1995, the economy had deteriorated to
such an extent that, during his budget speech, the Finance Minister
expressed fears that the Gambian economy was on the brink of collapse.
According to Dr. Ebrima Ceesay, a social science researcher, from 1994 to
1995, the gross domestic product declined by 3.5 percent, mainly as a
result of the dismal performance of the tourism sector. Real GDP growth
averaged only 1.2 percent. A government surplus of 1.3 percent GDP in both
1992 and 1993 had become a deficit of 6.3 percent in 1995, which rose to
10 percent in 1996. Gross national income also fell from $350 in 1992 and
1993 to $340 in 1995 and 1996.
Yet, despite the failure of the military regime to bring about economic
and social prosperity, the Gambian people were afraid to protest against
the junta for fear of violence. The junta issued draconian decrees that
curtailed fundamental rights and freedoms, suspended the constitution and
warned of dire consequences for any attempt to challenge the new order.
[UM2]
In November 1994, full diplomatic relations with Libya were restored after
15 years of hostile relations between ousted President Dawda Jawara and
Colonel Muamar Ghaaddafi, and the Gambians received an immediate grant of
$15 million. On July 13, 1995, full diplomatic ties with Taiwan were also
established, and in 1996, they opened an embassy in the Gambia. In August
1995, Taiwan made a no-interest loan of $35 million, a grant of $5 million
and initiated a series of rice production projects. In addition, Taiwan
donated 5,000 sets of military uniforms and boots to the Gambian Army.
With continued financial support from Taiwan and Libya, the economy showed
signs of limited resurgence. Jammeh and his AFPRC then engaged in a number
of developmental projects, in a bid as he put it, to improve the
socioeconomic conditions of Gambians.
From the beginning, human rights abuse was one area where the military
junta was criticized, both locally and internationally. As soon as it
assumed power, the military suspended the constitution, dissolved all
democratic structures in the country and started ruling by decree. Freedom
of expression was the first target of the military authorities; the
expression of political views was outlawed and the freedom of association
was severely circumscribed.
The Constitution of the Second Republic of the Gambia, which went into
effect in January 1997, provides for the protection of citizens against
arbitrary arrest and detention. After the coup, police and security forces
arbitrarily arrested and detained a number of Gambians. All secretaries of
state, senior civil servants and senior military officers in the ousted
People's Progressive Party were arrested. Periods of detention ranged from
a few hours to months, and there have been some accusations detainees were
subjected to physical and psychological torture. Due to the junta's lack
of transparency and accountability, the private press could not access the
exact number of Gambians held.
Another example of authoritarianism is the relationship between the junta
and the press. Upon assuming power, Jammeh assured the Gambians that he
welcomed ideas, and he challenged the press to "criticize us where we are
wrong and contribute where you can contribute." Ironically, Jammeh
announced Decree Number 4 on August 4, 1994. This decree denied the people
the rights to discuss their political views or to express themselves
collectively as members of political parties.
The Constitution provides for freedom of speech and the press. In
practice, the government has significantly limited the full exercise of
these freedoms through intimidation, police pressure, regulatory scrutiny
and laws that inhibit the independent media. The government also used
arrest, detention, dismissal, arson attacks, killings and interrogation to
intimidate journalists and newspapers that published articles that the
junta considered inaccurate or sensitive. As a result, journalists
practiced a significant degree of self-censorship.
Decrees 70 and 71 inhibit free reportage by requiring newspapers to post a
substantial financial bond. State owned or controlled publications were
not subject to either decree. Despite government harassment and
intimidation, the independent press maintained a critical stance against
the government.
The Gambia under President Jammeh continues to be mired in gross rights
violations. Since the coup, Gambians and journalists, in particular, have
had to contend with arrests, beatings, detentions, lawsuits, self-exile
and deportations. The president has virtually succeeded in breaking the
backbone of the independent media by either closing down the media houses
that were critical of the regime or reducing them to mere praise singers.
Other newspapers have been transformed into mouthpieces for APRC or have
been subjected to heavy censorship. For example, reports on Gambia Radio
and Television Services focus on Jammeh's "achievements" and on such
things as his farming skills and his so-called treatment of HIV/AIDS, all
while ignoring the most newsworthy happenings in the country. (For
examples, see sidebar, "Attacks on a free press.")
President Jammeh, whose hostility to the independent media is well-known,
has not held a press conference since 1994. He normally talks only to
hand-picked representatives of friendly media houses. Most members of the
independent press are routinely left out of state functions and other
newsworthy events.
In June 2006, reacting to documented violations of press freedom and human
rights and a skyrocketing corruption index, the board of directors of the
Millennium Challenge Corporation, a United States government corporation
designed to work with some of the poorest countries in the world,
suspended the Gambia's eligibility for Millennium Challenge Account
assistance. In its press release announcing the suspension, the MCC noted:
"A 2004 law forced media outlets to reapply for their licenses and
established harsh sentences for all press offenses, while changes in the
criminal code enable the state to confiscate any publication deemed
seditious without judicial oversight. Since then, there have been multiple
documented cases of unexplained arrest and detention of journalists, as
well as threats, arson attacks or official raids on independent media
sources. There are also increased reports of arbitrary arrests and torture
by security forces."
List of attacks on the free press in The Gambia
In March 2006, the The Independent's top staff were arrested and detained
for more than three weeks. The offices remain sealed an under armed guard.
Under The Gambian law, no private property may be impounded by authorities
without the provision of a court order. No such order was produced to
justify the closure of The Independent's offices.
On April 10, 2006, Lamin Fatty, a reporter for The Independent, was
arrested and detained. He was held incommunicado for almost 62 days and is
currently on trial for publishing false news, a criminal offense under The
Gambian law.
Omar Bah of the Daily Observer has been missing since May 2006, a few days
before the Gambian government issued a note declaring him wanted for his
contribution to a critical online publication, Freedom Newspaper. He, fled
into exile in Ghana.
On May 25, 2006, three journalists were arrested and detained by the
National Intelligence Agency for allegedly supplying damaging reports
about President Jammeh's administration to Freedom Newspaper. They are Pa
Modou Faal, an employee of the national broadcaster and Gambia Radio and
Television Services, Musa Sheriff of the Gambia News & Report Magazine and
Lamin Cham, a stringer of the BBC.
Ebrima Chief Manneh, a reporter with the pro-government Daily Observer,
has been missing since July 7, 2006 and is said to be held by the National
Intelligence Agency. The agency has repeatedly denied holding him.
Sam Obi and Abdul Gafari, two Nigerian journalists based in the Gambia and
editors of the Daily Express, were arrested and detained by the National
Intelligence Agency on July 16, 2006, for articles allegedly critical of
the government. Amie Sillah, a female journalist working with the biweekly
paper, was arrested and subsequently detained for five hours by the
Intelligence Agency on August 29, 2006.
On March 28 U.S.-based Gambian journalist Fatou Jaw Menneh was arrested by
the National Intelligence Agency of Gambia on March 28 as she arrived at
Banjul international airport in Gambia to visit her family. She was taken
to NIA headquarters for questioning. She has not been charged and the
reasons for her arrest are not known. Manneh, who has lived in the United
States for the past 10 years, is a frequent political commentator with the
U.S.-based All-Gambia.net and an outspoken critic of President Jemmeh. She
was formerly a reporter for the Daily Observer in Gambia. (See World Watch
for more information.)

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