Gambia: On Gambia Election Day, President Displays Contempt for Press Freedom

IPI Clarifies that Media Freedom is Not Just for Journalists
By: Naomi Hunt, Press Freedom Adviser for Africa

VIENNA, 28 Nov. 2011 – As Gambians went to the polls last week to vote, incumbent President Yahya Jammeh rejected international criticism over the country’s press freedom record, which, since Jammeh took power in a 1994 coup, has been characterised by the intimidation, jailing and torture of journalists, and control of the media.

"When they talk about rights, freedom of the press and [saying] this country is a hell for journalists … There are freedoms and responsibilities," the BBC quoted Jammeh as saying. "The journalists are less than 1% of the population and if anybody expects me to allow less than 1% of the population to destroy 99% of the population, you are in the wrong place."

The International Press Institute (IPI), a global press freedom organisation comprised of publishers, editors and leading journalists, criticised Jammeh’s reported remarks.  

“The reason that journalists must be permitted to work without interference, detention or torture, and the reason the media should not be compelled to report only the current government’s version of events has nothing to do with protecting a small segment of the workforce, as President Jammeh suggests,” said IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie. “Responsible journalism upholds democracy by holding government accountable; a free media provides space for a robust and critical public discourse.” 

The election was monitored by observers from the African Union (AU) and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), but the West African regional organization, Ecowas, said the vote was not legitimate and that their investigations had revealed “"an opposition and electorate cowed by repression and intimidation,” the BBC reported.  

In cases brought by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), the Ecowas Community Court found the Gambia responsible for the 2006 torture of journalist Musa Saidykhan and ordered the country to pay him reparations. The Gambia has failed to comply with the order. In 2008, the court also ordered The Gambia to release missing reporter Chief Ebrimah Manneh and pay him reparations. Again, The Gambia has failed to comply, denying instead that he is in their custody. In October this year Justice Minister Edu Gomez told the Daily News that Manneh was alive but not in government hands, although he refused to provide more information.

Source:http://www.freemedia.at

Gambia News:Was Taranga FM’s Closure due to Administrative Procedure?Minister Should Not Misinform Assembly

Daily News Gambia -The response of the minister of Information and Communication Infrastructure to the question raised by Jarra Central parliamentarian as to what led to the closure of Taranga FM sounds appears to be misleading.

The Information minister’s response that Taranga FM was closed due to administrative procedure as carried on The Point newspaper prompt us to question whether the minister is not speculating or misinforming the august assembly.

The closure of Taranga FM, a community radio station situated in Sinchu Alhagie, Kombo North on January 13, 2011, was an order from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

The station remained off the air for 32 days, which left its keen listeners in the dark. It added to the worries of all those concerned about freedom of expression and freedom of the press in The Gambia.

Later, a letter addressed to the proprietor dated 14 January stated that Taranga FM could relay news, but from the state owned-Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRST), if the station is interested in broadcasting news.

The government’s directive was contained in a letter to the manager of the station and signed on behalf of H. M Tambedou, Secretary General of the office of President.

The letter advised Taranga FM management to desist from reviewing opposition-linked and Western sponsored newspapers. With those conditions, the station is allowed to come back on the air without its popular “Xibari besbi”, (meaning news of the day in Wollof), which entailed news and current affairs programme that reviewed newspapers in Mandinka and Wollof the two major languages in The Gambia.

This means Taranga FM is only given the green light to review news from the government-controlled Gambia Radio and Television Service (GRTS). That is why the audiences are listening to a different Taranga FM – without ‘Xabari besbi’. This is how matters stand.

We could not understand what administrative procedure is the information minister talking about. Perhaps, he did not know the content of this letter, which we assume he should. And if he doesn’t, then we would ask: Is the minister’s hands not tied on his back in executing his job properly?

The purpose of calling ministers to the National Assembly is to clarify issues within their responsibility. The deputies have a role to scrutinize institutions, policies, and public officers etc.

So, whatever a minister says in the National Assembly should be clear, factual and in the legitimate interest of the country, without fear favour, affection or ill will.
The government of The Gambia should stop doing actions it cannot defend.

Source:dailynews.gm  

Gambia ALERT: Sports journalist in court for hosting aggrieved golf workers

MFWA-The Kanifing District Magistrate Court will on March 31, 2011 continue with the criminal trial of Bakary B. Baldeh, a sports producer and presenter of West Coast Radio, a privately-owned FM station, over a February 11 sports programme that the Gambian authorities claimed was criminal and meant to incite violence among Gambians.

This will the third time that Baldeh will appear before the court to answer charges of “conspiracy to commit felony”, and a “conspiracy” to incite violence. The charges stemmed from the presenter’s hosting of two aggrieved golf workers who had accused Ebrima Jawara, President of the Gambia Golfers Association and the son of former President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, of unfair treatment during a recent national golf tournament in the country. The tournament was sponsored by PresidentYahya Jammeh. Baldeh has since pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
On its website on March 25, the pro-government Banjul-based The Daily Observer newspaper reported that Baldeh is being tried as a result of an alleged complaint filed by Ebrima Jawara. However, Media Foundation forWest Africa (MFWA) sources in the Gambia said that that was not the case and that Jawara has denied that he initiated the action.
Baldeh was arrested on March 23 after being invited to the Karaiba police station in the Kanifing Municipality in the northern part of Banjul together with the station’s proprietor, Peter Gomez. While Gomez was released after a brief interrogation, Baldeh was illegally detained for three days. He was released on March 25 after making his first appearance in court. 
Meanwhile, Baldeh has decided to temporary suspend his programme until his ordeal is over, according to the Daily Observer. 

Source:MFWA

Gambia News :Independent Journalists Denied Entry at National Assembly

Journalists from independent press have been denied entry by state security agents to cover the State Opening of the National Assembly on Friday by President Yahya Jammeh despite having official accreditation.  
Reporters from Foroyaa, Today, The Point, Marketplace (Magazine), News and Report (Magazine), The Voice, and The Daily News private newspapers, frustratingly stood at the door to the National Assembly for about an hour before they were allowed-in by frown-faced security agents after the newly appointed press director at State House, Fatou Camara pleaded with them.
In very strong terms, Gambian president Yahya Jammeh recently dispelled reports that his government is restricting independent press to access official information. However, Friday’s incident could be said to lay bare Jammeh administration’s unwillingness to open doors to the private press.  
Mr Lamin Jahateh of Marketplace briefly explains here how it all happened:
“Go away; we don’t need the private press here. Go!” a female security agent barked at us. She shut her eyes at us as we pulled-out and put on view the accreditations given to us by the National Assembly to cover the ceremony.
To our surprise, a reporter from Daily Observer, a pro-government newspaper, came and met us standing. As soon as he told the security agents: “I am from Daily Observer,” they ushered him in a full escort. He entered through the door used by dignitaries.
After standing under the sun in frustration for almost thirty minutes, we then approached Fatou Camara, the newly appointed Director of Press and Public Relations at Office of the President and explained the situation to her.  “Ok, let me come,” Fatou told us.
We beamed in anticipation that very soon we will enter. But Fatou never returned up until a Foroyaa newspaper, Abubacarr Saidykhan, went to find out whether the DPPR will come or she has forgotten us. 
About ten to fifteen minutes later, Saidykhan then appeared with a glimmer of hope: “Follow me,” he told us in a strong voice, accompanied by gesticulation. As we followed Abubacarr, we met Fatou Camara pleading with the NIA officers at the door for them to allow us in.  One of them then nodded his head in acceptance that we can enter. “But you said seven, so only seven of them will enter,” one of them firmly told Fatou Camara. This is how we entered, thanks to Fatou Camara.  We spent almost an hour standing outside before we were allowed to enter. The president was more than mid-way into his speech by the time we entered.”

Source:dailynews.gm

Gambia News: Jammeh to news media: I set limits on press freedom

By Mohamed Keita/CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator

Last week, Gambian President Yahya Jammeh participated in a rare meeting with select members of the West African nation's press corps. Jammeh spoke in favor of access to public information. He announced that he would allow The Standard newspaper to resume publication, five months after the National Intelligence Agency forced its editor, Sheriff Bojang, to halt production. But the president largely lashed out at the Gambian private press and critics of his repressive media policies in the meeting, a tense session that was broadcast on state television. Jammeh, a former army captain who seized power in a 1994 coup, spoke in a harsh and contemptuous tone as he addressed media owners invited to the State House in the capital, Banjul.

"If anybody thinks that this is a mere public relations stunt, you're mistaken," Jammeh told journalists and a few officials present. "What you perceive as a reality is not reality," he said, chastising journalists for portraying the image that "Yahya Jammeh is a monster, he's a dictator, he's a killer, that Gambia is not a place for journalists.'" He insisted that he was not hostile to the press. "You think I'm stupid? I don't like the press, I don't like the freedom of press and I allow newspapers? I want to tell you that we're not your enemies," he said. "You have to a positive role to play in national development, peace, and stability."

The president was quick to narrow the scope of press freedom. "If you're interested in development, you want peace and stability, then you don't have anything to fear from me." But press freedom has limits, Jammeh said, and it is he who sets those limits. "One freedom I will never give you is the freedom, the liberty to write whatever you want that you know is not true. There is press freedom, but there's no freedom to lie."  

He added: "If I have to close any newspaper because you have violated the laws, I will close it. ... I will not billahi wallahi, sacrifice the interests, the peace and stability and well-being of the Gambian people at the altar of freedom of expression, or freedom of press, or freedom of movement or freedom of whatever."

At times, Jammeh appeared to contradict himself. "Sensationalism in journalism will not be accepted. Tell me one country where there's no law on libel," he said before declaring, "There's no section that criminalizes speech. I don't know where you got that from but as far as I am concerned, there's no law that says that you can be taken to court and charged with a criminal offense for speech." At least two of the journalists present--Pap Seine and Sam Sarr--could attest to the presence and use of such laws: They were jailed on criminal sedition charges in connection with a 2009 press release critical of Jammeh's comments on the unsolved murder of editor Deyda Hydara.

Again last week, Jammeh disputed any government responsibility in the Hydara case, as well as in the case of Ebrima "Chief" Manneh, a reporter who disappeared after being arrested in 2007. "I will not kill anyone outside of the law," he said. "You see, if I have to cut the heads of 10,000 people to save 1 million, I will do so with happiness, but on the condition that they have been sentenced by a court of law." He went on to repeat: "We will not kill anyone clandestinely." 

Yet Jammeh referenced Manneh's case as a "death," and suggested the journalist might have disappeared after attempting to illegally migrate to Europe or America. The statement implied knowledge of Manneh's fate that has not been disclosed publicly and that runs contrary to his administration's repeated public statements. In a letter to Jammeh on Monday, CPJ called on the president to clarify his reference to Manneh's "death" and fully disclose the government's knowledge of the case.

"In all previous public comments, administration officials have consistently denied any knowledge of Manneh's detention, whereabouts, or legal status," CPJ's letter said. "Those comments were made despite sightings of Manneh in government custody after his 2007 arrest. Government denials were also issued in response to a June 2008 ruling by the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States, which found sufficient evidence to conclude Gambian authorities had improperly detained Manneh."

Jammeh had some words of warning for the assembled journalists, accusing some of being "mouthpiece of opposition parties." His words apparently chilled initial press coverage of the meeting; all the leading newspapers omitted the president's comments on the Hydara and Manneh cases.

No Public Relation Exercise And No Appeasement as PRESIDENT JAMMEH MEETS MEDIA HEADS

On Wednesday, 16 March 2011 The President and some members of the Cabinet were engaged in a frank and open exchange of views with the media fraternity at state house which lasted for three and half hours.
Those who spoke on behalf of the Executive were President Jammeh, Vice President Madam Isatou Njie Saidy, the Minister of Communication and Information Technology Mr. Cham, the Minister of Health Madam Fatim Badjie, the Minister of Finance Mr. Mamburay Njie and the Secretary General and Head of the Civil service, Dr Njogu Bah. The Heads of Media Houses who spoke were Mr. Swaebou Conateh of News and Report, Mr. Pap Saine of The Point, Mr. Sam Sarr of Foroyaa and Mr. Hamid Adiamoh of Today.
The meeting emanated from the initiatives taken by the new Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Fatou Camara to facilitate dialogue between the Executive and the Media. She first invited heads of media houses to a meeting at state house to explore ways and means through which the executive could enter into dialogue with the media in order to address their respective concerns. The media houses that went to state house for the meeting were The Point, Foroyaa, Daily News and Today. Mrs. Camara took the concerns of the media personnel and promised to report to the Secretary General and the President. In less than a week after the meeting she again called to schedule a meeting with the president which took place at state house on Wednesday 16 March 2011.
In this edition, we will publish a summary of the issues raised but a full report will be published in the next edition.

THE PRESIDENT
The President opened the meeting with general comments on his commitment to his oath of office and his desire not to trample on the freedom of expression of Gambians. After the Media heads spoke he implied that some members of the press may have interpreted his attempt to reach out to the Press as a public relation exercise or an attempt to appease the press because of the current happenings in the World.
He therefore changed his tone by emphasizing that he is not engaged in a public relation exercise and is not trying to appease the Media and does not expect the Media to praise him. He observed that some Media heads appear to be at war and do not want to recognise his status and indicated that he would have media briefings with those who would observe the normal protocols observed elsewhere.
He emphasised that he is working for the interest of all Gambians and for the peace and stability of the country. Apart from Allah he is answerable to the Gambian people and he will not sacrifice the peace and stability of this country in the name of freedom of expression. If a publisher violates the law he will deal with him/her according to law. According to him being a journalist does not give one a license to write anything one likes.
He indicated that no one is stopping public officers from talking to the media. The executive has not issued any directive preventing public officers from talking to the media.
He or his executive has not killed any journalist and the fact that many convicts are in the death row; he has never killed anyone sentenced to death shows that he would not kill anyone unlawfully, especially since he has sworn to uphold the constitution and the law. He emphasized that his government has no hand in the killing of Deyda Hydara or the disappearance of Chief Manneh.

Mr Swaebou Conateh, expressed the hope that the Executive would not use the occasion as a public relation exercise and welcome the invitation for a dialogue to address mutual concerns that would lead to the protection of freedom of expression and media. He called on the executive to do the following:
1. Decriminalise free speech
2. Revoke the law on sedition
3. Decriminalise libel and revoke the law on false publication
4. Enact Freedom of Information law
5. Ensure Regular press briefings at state house and occasional press conferences
He observed that a mere declaration by the president that public servants are free to talk to the press does not suffice. To make them free there should be a formal circular to that effect.

Mr. Pap Saine emphasized the need for the point newspaper to adhere to its mandate and added his voice to the following:
1. Access to information
2. Revocation of anti-media laws (libel, sedition and the newspaper amendment act)
3. Provision of more training opportunities
4. Revocation of education levy as far as newspapers are concerned
5. Reduction of taxation on newspapers
6. Government renewing its subscriptions to newspapers and making timely payment

SAM SARR
Sam Sarr of the Foroyaa cited section 207(3) of the constitution: “The press and other information media shall at all times, be free to uphold …… the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people of The Gambia.” He told them that Foroyaa uses this as its guiding principle and asked them to explain the executive’s position on this constitutional mandate.
He also referred to section 208 of the constitution on the state owned media affording fair opportunities and facilities to express divergent views and dissenting opinions. He asked them to express an opinion on this. He told them that without pluralism holding the government accountable to the people will be meaningless.
He further told them that to hold the government accountable there must be access to information which is currently a problem. He cited a host of examples. There must also be freedom of expression, noting that thinking about the threat of going to jail when editing tantamount to self censorship which is inimical to freedom of expression.
He told them that there is no need for the government to become uneasy when the death of Deyda and the disappearance of Chief Manneh are mentioned as it should be the concern of both the media fraternity and the state.
HAMID
Mr. Hamid Adiamoh emphasised that though he carries a Nigerian passport, he considers himself a Gambian, noting that The Gambia enjoys peace and stability which many countries do not enjoy. He assured the president that all those media personnel that he knows in The Gambia media do not bear any ill-will against the President. That there are some who accused the government of being hostile to press freedom and that practice should be improved to allay such machinations.


Source:Foroyaa.gm

Gambia News: Gambian Journalists Make Demands

A rare dialogue between the government and the independent media that seeks to smooth out the bitter relations between the two witnessed renewed calls by journalists for government to make legal and policy reforms inorder to allow an unimpeded access and free flow of information. 
Held on Wednesday at Statehouse, the meeting was described by both the media and government officials as a significant move towards settling the differences. 
“I would not wish to rekindle the fire of the old wounds,” said Mr Swaebou Conateh, the editor/publisher of The Gambia News & Report weekly magazine, referring to the detentions, prosecutions, attacks and the mysterious killing of Deyda Hydara, founder of The Point newspaper and disappearance of journalist Ebrima Manneh of Daily Observer.  
Conateh added: “However, it is not too late to adjust or re-adjust the position, so that the Gambia can, among its many achievements under the Jammeh administration, boast of having the most free press in Africa, if not in the whole world. 
Being the oldest practicing journalist in the country, Swaebou said: “I therefore propose to take the bull by the horns to ask for certain programmes of the government to be carried out in order to make more satisfactory and systematic progress on what is now a vexed question.”
Conateh calls for the decriminalizing of speech since one is in contravention with the universal principles as the free flow of information is necessary for human understanding cooperation and developments.
“Our laws on sedition publication our libel laws and false publication laws are either archaic or out of step with the information age and should be repealed or revealed” saying that other countries have done this. 
Swaebou also called on the government to have an open door policy, recommending for the president, interior and foreign ministries to hold regular press briefing to entertain questions from media on offices they hold to clarify it to the public. 
“I know you are capable of doing it,” Conateh told the president, “But there is some reluctance on your part which makes us to have doubts about your intentions.” 
Mr Pap Saine, Managing Director and co-publisher of The Point newspaper emphasized the need for the independent press to access to government news in order to effectively execute its constitutional mandate to disseminate information about the activities of the government for the benefit of the public. 
“We want to make our position very clear that we are not an enemy to the state,” said Mr Saine, whose friend Deyda Hydara was gunned-down by unknown assailants since 2004. “The journalist does not see himself or herself in that role. We are neither backers of nor the opposition. Our job requires us to report on both the pleasant and the sordid aspects of society.” 
According to Sam Sarr, Editor of Foroyaa newspaper, governments have to be kept on their toes in order to assist them to become more effective, and also to preempt wrong doings and errors that may be created in the process of governance.
Mr Sarr highlighted that rather than government cooperating to bring about justice to the case of Deyda and others, there is uneasiness on the part of the executive whenever such cases are mentioned. 
According to him, the government is taking pride in allowing the large number of radio stations, but the fundamental question that should be asked is where they are allowed to broadcast local news. 
“There must be an alternative broadcast,” said Sam Sarr, who was among the six journalists jailed last year after found guilty sedition and defamation, but release after two months following presidential pardon. 
“There must be divergent views and dissenting opinion,” he added.   
For Abdul Adiamoh, publisher of Today Newspaper, The Gambia is a very beautiful country, but the Gambian media is denied to portray the image of the country. 
Adiamoh said he is a Nigerian, but he considers himself as a Gambian. He told the president that throughout his extended stay in the country, he has not seen a single Gambian journalist locally who is set out to vilify the country.


Source:dailynews.com