The United Kingdom branch of the Gambia Press Union is hereby calling on the United Nations to

urgently intervene by putting pressure on the government of the Gambia to seriously investigate the

murders of prominent Gambian journalists, Omar Barrow and Deyda Hydara as well as put an end

to the persistent reign of terror against journalists, human rights activists and innocent civilians in

the West African state.

The Point newspaper was brutally murdered near a police station in the Gambia whilst driving

home. Eye-witness accounts indicated that he was shot at from a car without number plates. Two

members of Heydra's staff, Ida Jagne-Joof and Nyansarang Jobe, who were in his vehicle at the time

both sustained varying degrees of injuries as a direct consequence of the bullets that were sprayed

on the moving vehicle. In the case of Ms Jobe, a bullet was lodged somewhere in her legs, which

was later extracted by surgeons at a hospital in the capital city of neighbouring Senegal, Dakar.

Mr Hydara's death is among a trail of murders and arson attacks by brutal groups of criminals, who

use vehicles without number plates at night to perpetrate a reign of terror against journalists, human

rights activists and innocent civilians. Since Hydaras murder, 5 years ago there has been an

apparent lack of progress in the investigation into his death despite widespread condemnation

nationally and internationally by journalists, journalist onganisations, human rights groups and

others concerned with justice and the rule of law.

The initial reaction of the Gambian government was to pretend that the murder of Mr Hydara was

nothing more than a routine criminal activity. It was only after intensive pressure that the

government took seriously calls for an immediate investigation into this most ghastly crime. Four

released a supposedly 'confidential' report, which purported to 'acquaint the Government of The

Gambia and other interested parties with the outcome of the investigation so far'. The report which

could best be read as a smear campaign veered towards maligning the good name of Mr Hydara, his

family and colleagues was full of logical disjunctions, contradictions, harebrained reasoning which

could very well have been written by high school juniors called into investigate the fatal shooting of

a high school senior during a prom night gone awry, nay a high school junior would have done a

better job!

Five years on, the government of the Gambia appear to have brought closure to the matter even

though no-one has been brought to justice and have become very jumpy about any mention or call

for an effective investigation. Barely 5 months ago 7 Gambian journalists were illegally arrested

and sent to prison for merely calling on the government to properly investigate Hydara's death and

bring the perpetrators to justice. Their call for the President of the Gambia Yahya Jammah to desist

from making statements of ridicule about Hydara's murder was regarded as a crime against the

state. Though the journalists were later purportedly pardoned by the President, the President of the

Press Union, Ndey Tapha Sosseh is being prevented from returning to the country for fear of

persecution by state agents who continue to harass and intimidate media practitioners daring to

continue asking the legitimate question: 'who killed Hydara?'.

As the custodian of the instruments of human rights, the United Nations has a duty to ensure that

human rights are not just respected but secured everywhere no matter the size of any given country.

It cannot and should not rest while injustice and the abuse of these rights continue. It is in view of

the above that The Gambia Press Union branch of the United Kingdom, a non partisan body of

Gambian journalists residing in the United Kingdom, is urging the United Nations to put pressure

on the government of The Gambia to ensure that media practitioners, human rights activists as well

as innocent civilians are protected against banditry.

headquarters

Christensen escaped with burns

burned down and disabled the paper's printing machine

President over insensitive remarks he made about the unsolved murder case of veteran

journalist Deyda Hydara

We are extremely disturbed by the fact that in each and everyone of the above mentioned

cases,investigation have been promised by the police only to end up with excuses, such as

'witnesses have not been forth coming.' As a result, such crimes end up being swept under the

carpet. Such a trend is inimical to peace and security, and constitutes a threat to democracy and the