July 22^nd. and Yahya Jammeh’s Tragic Legacy

By Mathew K. Jallow, Associate Editor

Libya’s dictator, Momar Ghaddafi, is in town, and up in Kanilai Village, nearly hundred miles south of the capital Banjul, cattle are slaughtered for the feast of a life-time. But the feast will not be complete without mixing Bakau in the equation. True to form, Bakau did not disappoint, as Independence Stadium sprang to life where bright florescence lighting flood the grounds below in resplendence glory. Yes, the glitzy stadium is spruced up for yet one more of Yahya Jammeh’s endless celebration of himself. Wander why? It is July 22^nd again and gleeful APRC zombies are in their most disgusting behavior; trotting and hopping like giddy playground children vying for Emperor Yahya Jammeh’s approval. It looks surreal as everywhere one looked, up and down the highways, the dirt roads and the no roads, amidst piles of nasty garbage, stagnant gutters reeking with obnoxious stench, swarms of blue flies feeding of human fasces, dour faces and gloomy faceless uniformed shadows in military precision, crisscross the crowded market centers, dusty streets and the narrow grass alleys of the sleepy towns and villages from Kololi to Kanilai deep in the forests of Foni. It is deja vous all over again. Jammeh can never get over the dream that has locked his mind in a permanent state of disbelief; that he is indeed emperor. So let the party begin.

 

Gambians Missing Between 1994 – 2009

Survived Attempted Murders

Known Tortured Political Prisoners

Alhagie Kebbeh: nearly killed in brutal beating, now disabled

Wassa Janneh: (UDP politician) tortured and detained for political reasons

Marian Denton: (Human Rights Attorney/Lawyer) jailed, tortured and released

Ousman Rambo Jatta: (UDP) jailed for more than a year; released

Tamba Fofana: (teacher) jailed for more than a year, released and unemployed

Foreign National Massacred in The Gambia

Cabinet Ministers Hired and Fired 1994-2009

Murdered Journalist

Ebrima Chief Manneh, News editor/reporter

Cases of Regime ordered Arsons.

August 8^th. 2001, Radio Station 1 FM, was set ablaze around 2 a.m. in the morning, after proprietor George Christensen and his watchman were doused with hazardous chemicals in the hope of incinerating them. The two victims survived the ordeal, but the station was a total loss.

August 10^th. 2001, the home of Alieu Bah, Radio I FM journalist, who moderated debates and discussions between prominent personalities, was set ablaze around 3 a.m. while he, his wife and children were asleep. The family narrowly escaped death, but the house was gutted to the ground.

October 17^th. 2003, The Independent Newspaper premises were set on fire around 3 a.m in the morning when three unidentified masked men stormed the building, assaulted the night watchman and then sprayed him with fire hazard chemical in the hope he would burn to death. But he luckily survived the assault. The premises were destroyed beyond recognition.

April 13^th. 2004, the Kanifing printing facilities of the Independent Newspaper was set on fire around 2 a.m. by six individuals dressed in military fatigue. The printing machinery and other hardware equipment were completely destroyed.

August 15^th. 2004, the home of B.B.C reporter, Ebrima Sillah was set on fire as he slept. He narrowly escaped.

Arrests and Detentions of Journalists.

September 19^th. 2003, around 6 p.m. Abdoulie Sey, the Editor-in-Chief, The Independent Newspaper was arrested from his office by intelligence agents and held incommunicado. He was released four days later.

September 2005, Musa Saidykhan, Editor-in-Chief, The Independent Newspaper, was detained for interrogation for a brief period of time shortly after returning from a South African journalist conference.

March 27^th. 2006, Musa Saidykhan, Editor-in-Chief, The Independent Newspaper, was arrested again by security agents a few days after publishing an article critical of Yahya Jammeh’s reactions in the wake of an alleged coup attempt on March 21, 2007. He was released after three weeks in detention.

March 2006, Madi Ceesay, The Independent General Manager, arrested by the regime’s agents, was released after three weeks of detention.

April 10^th. 2006, Independent reporter, Lamin Fatty was arrested from his home by NIA agents and released after two months in detention and charged with false publication.

April 25^th. 2006, Independent receptionist, Juldeh Sowe, was arrested and released after several hours.

July 7^th. 2006, Daily Observer journalist, Ebrima Chief Manneh, was arrested by NIA officials from the Observer premises, was seen in public once after two years detention, at the Royal Victoria Hospital, sick and emaciated. Six powerful U.S Senators; Edward Kennedy, Richard (Dick) Durbin, Russell (Russ) Feingold and Joe Lieberman among others wrote to Yahya Jammeh asking him to release Journalist Manneh after being held for nearly three years. Manneh has since been confirmed murdered by Jammeh’s agents.

May 24^th. 2006, following the hacking of the online, Freedom Newspaper, five Gambian journalists whose names appeared on the paper’s readers list were arrested and detained for different lengths of time. After several months they were released. They are:

September 2006, a Gambia Radio and Television Services reporter, Dodou Sanneh, was arrested and detained, and later fired, rehired and fired again from his job government job.

March 28^th. 2007, Fatou Jaw Manneh, a U.S. based Gambian journalist, was arrested at the airport, her traveling documents seized and charged with sedition. Her Kangaroo trial lasted more than a year. Her heavy fine was paid with donations from family and friends from all around the world.

December 16^th. 2005, police ruffed Ramatoulie Charreh up after the participants in a conference she attended, attempted to visit the spot where journalist Deyda Hydara was gunned down.

In mid 2006, Njaimeh Bah, Point Newspaper reporter, attacked by unknown assailants, was severely beaten.

December 12. 2006, Baron Eloagou, reporter for the Daily Express, was severely beaten by unknown assailants.

December 2006, Abdougafar Olademinji, reporter for the Daily Express, was attacked by unknown assailants and beaten severely.

June 14^th. 2009, seven journalists and members of the Gambia Press Union (GPU), were rounded up from various locations by heavily armed paramilitary agents and detained at NIA headquarters before being transferred to the notorious Mile 2 prison outside Banjul. The group listed below, were granted bail and charged with publishing seditious material and their case is ongoing despite protestations of regional and international organizations such as Media Foundation for West Africa, Amnesty International, Community to Protect Journalists.

June 16^th. 2009, Abdulhamid Adiamoh, Publisher of Today Newspaper, was arrested for false publication and detained at National Intelligence headquarters. Forced to plead guilty or face deportation back to Nigeria, he was fine an extortive amount of money or face six months jail time.

June 22^nd. 2009, Augustine Kanja, a reporter for The Point Newspaper, was arrested and detained by security agents. He was released June 25^th, 2009.

Journalists Exiled from The Gambia Between 1994-2009.

International human rights groups and The Gambian media abroad seek the cooperation of the general public in The Gambia to provide them with an accurate list of Gambians who died, or were in any way, shape or form injured, hospitalized, tortured and harmed during the witch-hunting exercise early this year. This information is urgently needed in order to compile an accurate documentation of the abuses suffered by Gambians during Jammeh’s long reign of terror. Please email your information to any of the online papers.