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CISLAC,IFJ,NUJ call on Jonathan to
intervene over rights
abuses in the Gambia
By Joy Idam Abuja
Newsdiaryonline Fri July 22,2011
The Amnesty International in Collaboration with Civil Society
Legislative Advocacy
Centre, CISLAC, in a joint press briefing comprising the
International Federation
of Journalists, IFJ, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, have
called on President
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, as a beneficiary of democracy and
recognised African
Leader to intervene in the happenings in The Gambia by
adding his voice in call
for President Yahya Jammeh, to put an end to abuse of
Rule of Law and Human
Rights in his Country.
“We call on the Nigerian government to explore its strategic and
influential position in
Africa and the sub-region in particular to prevail on the
government of Gambia to
bring an end to this flagrant abuse of people’s right against
all known principles of
democratic rule”.
Earlier in his Address the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal
Musa Rafsanjani, noted
with concern that most victims of enforced disappearance in The
Gambia are Journalists,
opposition party members or security force personnel. Adding
that on Tuesday, July
19th,2011, three Journalists and opposition party members
living overseas, including former President of The Gambia Press
Union, Ndey Tapha Sosseh,
were charged in absentia with treason in connection with the
distribution of t-shirts
bearing the logo ‘”End to Dictatorship in The Gambia”.
Four others were
previously arrested in June and remain in custody in Gambia
where treason carries the death penalty or 25 years
imprisonment.
Mr Rafsanjani called on The Gambian government to immediately
end incommunicado detention
and enforced disappearance, and investigate cases of extra
judicial executions.
“Any person believed to have engaged in these illegal activities
must face justice in
fair trials” he declared.
Adding that “’unlawful killings are seen as quickly getting rid
of Coup plotters and
other perceived enemies , especially people whom the President
feel have turned against
him. Torture is also regularly used in Gambia to force
confessions and to
punish detainees. Significant evidence has emerged in trials
in recent years
suggesting that people were tortured to extract confessions,
raising concerns about
the admissibility of evidence”.
Similarly he called on the International community to exert the
necessary pressure upon
The Gambian government to “uphold its people’s rights and basic
freedoms. While urging
the Common Wealth to ensure “that the Gambian people
respect and protect the
rights of Common Wealth citizens and foreigners resident
in The Gambia.
He reassured the team that CSOs and Journalists in Nigeria will
keeping providing
support for such people with abuse of human rights and rule of
law, “we will not stop
until Jammeh stops this madness, because instead of
celebrating Freedom Day President Jammeh who marks July 22 each
year as Freedom Day
rules Gambia with an iron fist by a government that ruthlessly
quashes all forms of dissent”.
In a related development the President of the International
Federation of Journalists,
IFJ, Mr Jim Boumelha, has joined the Federation of African
Journalists, FAJ, The
West African Journalists Association, WAJA, in condemning
in the strongest terms
the decision by the Gambian Government to charge Ndey
Tapha Sosseh, FAJ
Treasurer and former President of the Gambian Press Union
(GPU) an IFJ affiliate
with treason and sedition and called for all charges to
be dropped.
He noted that Sosseh was charged last Tuesday by the State
prosecutors office along
with three other persons, including Mathew K. Jallow, Famara
Demba and the already
detained former Information Minister Amadou Scattered Janneh,
with conspiracy to
commit treason and seditious act.
The charges alleged that on or about the 26th of May 2011 in
diverse places in The
Republic of The Gambia and elsewhere, they conspired to
overthrow the Government
of The Gambia by unlawful means and thereby committed an
offence”.
”Not only are these charges appalling, but they underscore the
perilous situation faced
by Journalists and Civil Society Activists in The Gambia” says
Omar Faruk Osman, FAJ
President.
“Our colleague Ndey Tapha Sosseh has at no time committed any
criminal offence and
these charges are made up to destabilise and discredit not only
Gambian journalists but
also journalists in Africa as a whole” he stated.
Adding that” in pressing these charges against Ndey, the Jammeh
government is clearly
sending a message to Gambian citizens that dissent will not be
tolerated and also to
journalists that check on power is off limit. The IFJ and the
global community of
journalists will launch the widest campaign backed by regional
and international institutions and governments to protect
Ndey and dispel trumped up charges”
says Boumelha.
While making his solidarity speech, the National Secretary of
the Nigeria Union of
Journalists, NUJ , Comrade Shuaibu Leman, who represented the
NUJ/WAJA National
President, Mohamed Garba, said that “ NUJ sympathises with the
situation of the Gambian
colleagues , because their fate cannot be isolated. He
noted that NUJ will
raise consciousness and awareness and will appeal to
President Jonathan to
intervene in this gory happening in order to restore
respect for the Rule of
Law in The Gambia. So that those on exile will not have
suffered in vain while seeking justice for those who have lost
their lives”
Adding that it is unfortunate that a Nigerian is involved,
Michael Uche, one of the
Printer of the T-shirt “must not be allowed to die in Prison” he
pleaded.
In a very emotional statement Ndey Tapha Sossey, said “I cannot
be deterred by these
occurrence in an activist and a journalist I will continue to
write and advocate for
the freedom of my people and all those jailed incommunicado. I
get my works published
on Gambian websites for people to read and am grateful to my
Senegalese Radio friends who continue to beam my reports on
their Local Stations that are received in The Gambia in English
Language and French though we pay a fee, I feel fulfilled doing
this”
Sosseh narrated how her mother, though not a journalist but an
activist loves writing
and for this her home have been burnt severally. Not many female
practice journalism in
The Gambia she said as is the case in Nigeria. “Once you
mention it family
members will discourage you not many have my guts I am
determined to fight this
course there is no going back.” She stated.
She noted that ” when I did some reports and gave to my
colleagues in the Gambia
to publish, 6 of them were arrested and thrown into jail, for
the same offence am
being accused of now, they are still in jail alongside Uche
Michael a Nigerian
Printer based in The Gambia with two other Printers , their
offence being that they
printed the t-shirts for me”.
According to her two years ago when I was still serving as
President I was in Nigeria
to join in this a similar briefing to seek the release of
thousands of Citizens
,foreigners and Gambians being held in different jails by
President Jammeh, most
affected are journalists.
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