AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

PRESS RELEASE

 22 July 2011

Gambia: Hundreds disappeared, killed and tortured

Gambia must act to improve the deteriorating human rights situation across the country, Amnesty International said in a campaign document released today. Climate of Fear Continues: Enforced disappearances, killings and torture in Gambia details how cases of enforced disappearances are yet to be resolved after several years, those involved in unlawful killings have not been identified and bought to justice, and torture is still widely used by the security forces.

 Africa's insane human butcher, Yahya Jammeh

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Analysis

Treason: The Criminal Offence Dr Amadou Scattred Janneh did not commit

By Lamin J Darbo, JD, London UK

As a criminal offence, it sounds melodramatic, even extraordinary. No surprise that treason is seen as occupying the apex of political offences. It evokes sentiments associated with danger, death, even the ingredients of general mayhem.

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The Gambia ALERT: Ex-Press Union Boss, six others accused of overthrowing President Yahya Jammeh 

Ndey Tapha Sosseh, the immediate past President of The Gambian Press Union (GPU) and two other Gambians, were on July 19, 2011charged in the ongoing treason trial involving Dr. Amadou Scattered Janneh, a former Minister of Communication and three others for allegedly distributing materials demanding an end to the authoritarian rule of President Yahya Jammeh.

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Commentary

Ghana/Africa

Finally, Jerry Rawlings gets Democratic Shower

By Kofi Akosah-Sarpong

The so-called founder of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), ex-president Jerry Rawlings, is an unhappy man. By nature he is at home with dictatorship, loud noise and being at the center of the stage. Rawlings didn’t get all these at the national delegates’ congress of the NDC in Sunyani, Brong Ahafo on July 9 billed to elect a presidential candidate.

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Commentary

I am distraught

 By Karamba Touray

 In the last 24 hours I have heard public comments from United Democratic Party (UDP) leader, Ousainou Darboe restating both his desire for a united opposition and his optimism that one would be forthcoming. I have also heard Halifa Sallah on VOA restate his wish for a united

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EchoAnalysis

Economic surge, but inequality on the rise

By Kofi Akosah-Sarpong, BA, MA, MJ, Montreal, Canada

On the streets of Ghana’s top cities, Kumasi and Accra, it is easy to observe increases in the perennial beggars – from the physically disabled to healthy men and women of all ages. “Please could you spare some change,” is a constant irritating tune. Aside from the beggars, more Ghanaians are falling below the poverty line of US$2.00 a day. No doubt, labour strikes have become daily occurrence.

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 Commentary

Ghana/Africa

Under siege of Prophetic Trance

By Kofi Akosah-Sarpong, BA MA, MJ, Montreal Canada

Ghanaians appear to be under the clench of prophetic spell. It is as if Ghanaians are hooked on some prophetic drug and find it difficult to rehabilitate themselves. This has put Ghanaians on some sort of permanent prophetic high. It has become a real development threat, making the prophetic genie hard to be put back in the bottle.

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Legal Matters

Ex-Magistrate rebukes Gambia’s False Information law

--Lawyer L. J. Darbo says it’s: malicious, draconian, politically motivated

By Lamin J. Darbo, London, UK

False information to public servant: The Gambian Constitution, and Section 114 of the Criminal Code

Of immense concern to legal and political observers are the ever increasing prosecutions under a law arguably invalidated by provisions of the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia (the Constitution). Hardly a month passes by without some overwhelmed citizen or resident of The Gambia being hauled before Magistrates’ Courts accused of committing the now notorious offence of giving “false information to a public servant”.

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Gambian journalist, Madi Njie arrested

The Gambia ALERT: Police arrests another Press Union Executive

Madi S. Njie, the newly-elected First Secretary-General of The Gambia Press Union (GPU) was arrested at the office of The Standard, a privately-owned Banjul-based newspaper in the morning of July 1, 2011.

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