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Subject:  REOPEN SUD FM RADIO -JAMMEH A THREAT TO PRESS FREEDOM
Date:  Sun, 23 Oct 2005 19:15:18 -0700
>EDITORIAL
>REOPEN SUD FM RADIO -JAMMEH A THREAT TO PRESS FREEDOM
>Octoger 23, 2005
>We condemn the recent closure of Sud Fm Banjul radio in the strongest
>terms. There is no justification for such a malicious and irresponsible
>move on the side of The Gambian government. Yahya Jammeh is not tolerant
>to press freedom and will be more than happy to see The Gambia without a
>private press.
>
>We are kind of baffled by Neneh Madwoll Gaye's claims that the radio was
>bent on spreading derogatory remarks at the hills of The Gambia/border
>crisis. What derogatory remarks is Neneh talking about? Or is it that she
>was asked by Jammeh to black mail the press again, as this has been their
>style in recent times. This government lived and survived by lies and
>deception. We will get to that later.
>
>Neneh, there is no grain of truth about your faked assertion against our
>Senegalese/Gambian colleagues. These are matured and conscious media
>professionals, who execute their duties with high degree of
>responsibility. If it were not the media, we will hear a different story
>all together about the border crisis. It is sad that you will go all out
>to lie to the BBC, just to impress your boss Yahya Jammeh.
>
>As far as we are concerned Sud FM, is one of the most responsible radio
>stations in The Gambia. This is a radio which seeks to promote divergent
>views in The Gambia, which are never featured in the government controlled
>press. Closing such an important radio is an affront to press freedom and
>democracy. This will not tell well on the battered image of this
>government, which is notorious for its hostile relationship with the
>private press.
>
>We are not surprised about Jammeh's action to shut down Sud FM. He had
>always portrayed journalists as "illegal sons and daughters of Africa"
>bent on painting a gloomy picture of the Continent. Mr.President, we are
>more patriotic than you, who is in the business of threatening dissent and
>liberties of Gambian citizens. We will remain resolute and will not be
>intimidate by these routine attacks on the private media.
>
>We at The ALLGAMBIAN are convinced that, we would have suffered the same
>fate just like Sud FM radio. Our past coverages on the border crisis had
>not been well received by your government. We have been called all kinds
>of names, for just merely reporting the truth state of affairs regarding
>The Gambia/Senegalese border crisis. Some of your supporters hiding under
>the banner of pen names have the guts to call on the US police authorities
>to arrest us-because they feel that some of the news items we published
>should not be published.
>
>Hear this disgruntled Jammeh supporter in this unedited message sent to
>our forum site"Here is a tipical artickle from this Panderi and his
>friends. How can you sit in Britain and belive in such things. This is
>very serious because people should come forward and say the truth.
>Otherwise this newspaper is just another forum for idel Gambians to post
>their imarginary artickles. This papper should be monitored or even
>sensored for some of its artickles. There is aa electronic law that can be
>used to stop such things. Otherwise certain measures will be taken to stop
>such nonsens newspapper.It is the job of the police to deal with such
>people. Otherwise you people who post such artickles are most unhonest. If
>Pa Nderri is a truthful person, he should always dobble check. The world
>is changing and one never knows were one is going to meet. I belive the
>observer correspondent in the Gambia is a gost."
>
>The writer as he called himself as Alhassan, I say go ahead and championed
>the necessary legislation that will order for the closure of ALLGAMBIAN.
>We had series of similar hate mails sent to us privately, which we could
>publish here for all to see. We will not be intimidated by enemies of
>freedom bent on undermining our cherished peace in The Gambia. The
>ALLGAMBIAN is aware of Jammeh's ill intentions against our news medium,
>but we will remain to be steadfast. Come rain, come shine, we are here to
>stay.
>
>Back to the Sud FM closure, we urge our colleagues to sue the government
>to court for taking such an undemocratic move. Even though our legal
>system is not independent, such a case should be documented on judicial
>records for the purpose of posterity. This government had perpetrated all
>kinds of atrocities against the private media.
>
>By this editorial, we are urging all press freedom defenders across the
>globe to join us in condemning the unconstitutional closure of Sud FM
>Banjul. The decision taken by The Gambian authorities to close Sud FM
>radio, is a flagrant violation of our 1997 constitution. The radio had not
>threaten National security as Nenneh want us to believe. It is Yahya and
>his government who are threatening our cherished peace and not Sud FM.
>
>It is our contention that, in the absence of a court order, the government
>have no rights whatsoever to close a private radio station. We therefore
>ask for the immediate reopening of Sud FM radio. Let the rule of prevail
>in The Gambia. Yahya's jungle law busniess should stop in the interest of
>fair play and justice. Yahya stop the attacks on the media. Remember that
>a day will come, you will be held responsible for the crimes you waged
>against the media. Take note of this Jammeh. We rest our case.
>
>
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>
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