NOVEMBER 2008 EDITION
10 Nigerians Killed In The Gambia
(Culled from Leadership newspaper) http://leadership.nigeriannewsservice.com/?c=117&a=2096)
Even as efforts to tackle human rights violation gets support across the world, 10 Nigerians have been reported killed in The Gambia alongside others from various African countries.
They were allegedly killed by Gambian security agents acting on orders of the Gambian President to secure the border of The Gambia while it was stated that the Nigerians may have been fleeing for greener pastures.
Nana Oye Lithur, Regional Coordinator, Common Wealth Human Rights Initiative, made this disclosure yesterday when Amnesty International received a report on the Gambian situation entitled : ‘Gambia : Fear Rules’
Lithur, who spoke on behalf of her organisation, decried the impunity which exists amongst African leaders and the rate at which human rights were being violated by them.
Tania Bernath, an official from Amnesty International, gave a run down of unlawful arrests, torture and detention which had been meted out to citizens of Gambia by the Yayah Jameh administration.
For Bernath, the Gambian presidents’ regime had been marked by human rights violation.
"We urge the African Commission to address the human rights situation in the Gambia as a priority and to adopt a resolution that would help end torture, arrests and killings by the local security forces.
We urge all African leaders to put pressure on Gambia to end the long standing culture of impunity for human rights violations in the country", Bernath said.
While speaking at the occasion, the Amnesty International official condemned the subject of the general repression of the press which had led to censorship at all degrees which, she maintained, is going against professionalism in any society.
"The media, for the most part, censors itself in the face of arrests, fines, threats and physical attacks on those accused of criticizing the government. All public protests have ceased".
Clement Nwankwo, Director Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), while speaking at the forum upheld that it is regrettable for African countries including the Nigerian government to remain silent and do nothing to deal with the state of affairs in the Gambia.
Amnesty International has however called on the international community and African leaders including the African Union to see that the rule of law is adhered to in order to end the entrenched culture of impunity and bring to a halt further violation of human rights, not only in the Gambia but Africa in general.
Amnesty says 'fear rules' in Gambia...A Bombshell of fear unconvered!!! READ ON....
ABUJA (AFP) — Opponents of Gambian President Yahya Jammeh are subjected to daily rights violations including torture, Amnesty International said Tuesday in an damning report entitled "Gambia: Fear Rules".
"Routinely, people are unlawfully arrested, without warrants, are not told the reasons for their arrest, and often do not have access to their families or lawyers. Often they are not charged within the 72 hours mandated by the law," Amnesty researcher Tania Bernath told AFP.
"There is a whole range of violations, torture is often used and for those charged... they don't experience fair trial," she said.
Published in Nigeria's administrative capital Abuja, the study chronicled right abuses in recent years in this small west African country which is nestled inside Senegal.
Amnesty said suspects were arbitrarily arrested and if they make it to court at all many did not get fair trials.
Fear pervades across-the-board and there have been cases of people disappearing, the rights watchdog said.
"There is an awful number of people that are unlawfully detained... these cases are still going on and something needs to be done to prevent them in the future," Bernath said.
The report was launched on the sidelines of a two-week-long meeting of members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights which opened on Monday.
The situation has worsened since a foiled coup attempt against Jammeh in March 2006 which saw dozens of civilians and soldiers arrested, Amnesty said.
"Against a backdrop of arbitrary unlawful arrests, detentions and other human rights violations, all public protests have ceased in Gambia.
"Lawyers are reluctant to take on human rights cases for fear of reprisals, and families of the victims are afraid to speak out.
"The media, for the most part, censors itself in the face of arrests, fines, threats and physical attacks that have been meted out to those accused of criticizing the government," the report said.
Ugona Duru of the Media Foundation for West Africa said "there is a high level of fear and tension" among Gambian journalists.
She slammed Gambia for its "contempt and absolute disregard" of a June ruling by the regional ECOWAS court ordering it to release journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh, who was arrested in 2006 after the foiled coup.
Amnesty called on the international community to exert pressure on Gambia to stop the abuses and on Banjul itself to cease the violations.
"The situation in the Gambia is not well known, the civil society and the judiciary systems are weak," said Bernath.
Launching the report outside Gambia, the seat of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights "highlights the irony that these violations are happening under the nose of the commission," she said.
"Just as the African Commission (on human rights) looks at human rights violations in other countries, it must take greater attention to what is going in The Gambia," she added.
The 57-page report cites dozens of cases of abuses, among them the murder of an outspoken journalist and former AFP correspondent in Gambia, Deyda Hydara, in 2005.
The same year 50 migrants, among them 44 Ghanaians, were reportedly killed by security forces using machetes and axes at a farm outside Banjul.
MR PRESIDENT, FREE CHIEF EBRIMA MANNEH!!!
To: A.J.J. Yahya Jammeh, Abdul R. Cole (First Email Address), Abdul R. Cole (Second Email Address)
From: [NDEY LOWE]
I am deeply concerned about the well-being of journalist "Chief" Ebrima B. Manneh, formerly of the Daily Observer, who has not been seen or heard from since his arrest in July 2006, according to sources in the media and human rights organizations in The Gambia. Amnesty International considers "Chief" Ebrima Manneh to be a prisoner of conscience, and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.
Manneh was arrested by plainclothes security agents at the paper's offices in the capital
On June 5, 2008, the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)--of which Gambia is a member state--declared the arrest and detention of "Chief" Ebrima Manneh illegal and ordered the Gambian authorities to release him immediately, restore his human rights, including his right to freedom of movement, and pay him $100,000 in damages.
The case of "Chief" Ebrima Manneh highlights a wider problem evident throughout The
I urge you to ensure that Gambian officials comply with the ruling of the Community Court of Justice and immediately and unconditionally release "Chief" Ebrima Manneh.
Sincerely
NDEY LOWE
OCTOBER 2008 EDITION
Breaking News: Panorama Boss, Ndey Lowe AKA Bulfaaleh in UK Immigration net!
Miss Lowe, the panorama newspaper boss, stunt and renown critic of the brutal dictator Jammeh and his regime is reported to be detained by the UK authorities. Sources revealed to this paper that, informants sympathetic to the Gambian president Jammeh's regime, tipped-off the british authorities to nabbed the newspaper boss in a bid to deport her back to the Gambia to face deadly consequencies.
It can be recalled that miss lowe is the younger sister of Lt. Ebou Lowe, the slain soldier murdered in the wake of the 2006 abotive coup by the President's 'Junglers Murder Squad' headed by late captain musa Jammeh AKA Malia.
Meanwhile, Panorama has tried to obtained an interview with UK authority concerned, however they declined to comment. However, we will keep very much upto date on this story.
WHO ARREST NDEY LOWE...AND WHY???!!!
Breaking News: Jammeh you killed my Brother...thats why I said you are born out of a Wedlock!
Narrated by Ndey Lowe.
The panorama newspaper boss puts forward ample evidence to embark her allegation against the killer president!
A top official of the Gambia Armed Forces who spoke on strict condition of anonymity regrets to announce to families about the murder of coup suspects Messrs Daba Marena, former NIA Director General,Lieutenant Alieu Ceesay,Alpha Bah of the Fajara Barracks,Sergeant Malafi Corr and Lieutenant Ebou Lowe a former commander in Kanilai, the President home village by state guard soldiers acting under the command of the President Yahya Jammeh. The army official says he thought it necessary to inform the deceased families through this leading medium by formally confirming their death, even though according to the soldier the government “is hell bent on covering the cold blooded murder of Marnena and others.” The official who works at the Gambia Armed Forces Head Quarters in Banjul claimed that the men were hung by their killers led by Musa Jammeh,Tumbul Tamba,Alhagie Martin and other junglers whose names he said would be communicated to the Gambian community pretty soon. The official urges bereaved families to pay their last respect to their loved ones as there is no way that they can be accorded a decent burial under President Yahya Jammeh’s watch.
Our source said it is unfair for him to sit on such information when the killers of Marena and others are walking scot free around the state house. “The President ordered for their killing. The murdered coup suspects were taken to a forest where they were hung. Several gunshots were fired on Daba Marena and Lowe. The President thought that the two were among the ring leaders. Other suspects also received the same mistreatment. Since their killing, no GAF official has been at ease. We watch our movements and the people we talk to. This information is being passed to you for the sake of posterity. Gambians deserved to know about the true picture surrounding this genocide. There is a plan in the offing to execute Bunja Darboe and other military coup suspects. That I can confirm to you. I witnessed the discussions and the people behind the said move. Bunja and others knows that they are going to die and that’s why they are speaking out. If the international community don’t prevail on the President he would go ahead with his plans to take their lives.”said the GAF official.
According to my informant, the killing of Daba and Co was calculated to set deterrent to future would be coupists. “As I talk to you the President is in a hurry for the court martial to complete its work so that he can avenged his anger on the revelations made by Captain Bunja Darboe and CO. I personally fear for the safety of their lawyers. The man is very upset. I mean, very, very upset. Lawyer Touray and Camara should avoid walking alone at late. The NIA has been trailing them since this trial begun. They need to watch their back.”said the official.
Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh suffered dozens of alleged coup attempts since he came to power in July of 1994. Some soldiers died in the process while others were exposed long jail terms by the judicial system. The President in his televised address shortly after the March 2006 alleged abortive coup vows to set a drastic lesson this time around against individuals planning to unseat through forceful means. The alleged ring leader of the March coup Colonel Ndure Cham, is said to be currently residing at a neighbouring country. Mr.Cham has sine been maintaining a low profile since his escape.
The disgruntled soldier says Daba and others were asked to make their last prayers before they were summarily executed by trigger happy state guard soldiers led by Musa Jammeh known as “Maliamungu or Chemical Ali.” After they were shot at close range continued the soldier, the deceased were buried in a mass grave at a location he promises to photograph and send the pictures to Freedom. “God willing, I will forward the pictures of the scene area to you. President Jammeh is playing with human beings. He has been using our men as guinea pigs over the years. These killings and disappearances must ceased. We know why the NIA officers at Mile Two. He thought that by locking them, Gambians will not know about the killing of Daba and Co. These people are dead.”he charged.
The source said the army spokesman was being warned not to entertain question from journalists especially the foreign media about the death of Daba Marena and Co.”There are new faces in that office. Some of us who know what’s going on are being monitored secretly. Even the Chief of Staff Lang Tombong Tamba is not safe. The death of Daba, Lowe and others causes a big confusion in the military. Anyone can be arrested on faked charges.” said the GAF insider.
The Gambian government earlier claimed that Daba Marena and Co escaped after the car they were travelling with crashed on their way to the Janjangbureh jail house. But the GAF official dismisses the government story describing it “as a fat lie and a cover up to deceive bereaved families. ”
Breaking News: EBOU LOWE was murdered in cold blood!!!
Our murdered boys(L-R) Lt.Pharing Sanyang, Alieu Ceesay, Sainey Mendy and RSM Alpha Bah. picture taken days before their brutal murder
Although there is a corpus of literature about them, yet nowhere have their images been seen except for the forced video confessions shortly after their alleged complicity in the foiled coup allegedly masterminded by fugitive army Chief Colonel Ndure Cham in March, 2006.
Today, Panorama news is gracious to our sources for providing us with their photo taken barely three weeks in the prelude to the alleged coup that portended their extra-judicial executions on or about
Here is the truth!!!
Lieutenant Pharing Sanyang was severely tortured until he lapsed into coma as revealed in his chilling testimony before the Kangaroo tribunal presided by a hustler turned mercenary judge in the person of Justice Akomaye Agim once Director of Public Prosecution and since elevated to the coveted rank of Appeals Court President. Lieutenant Sanyang was tortured by the regime’s most brutal thugs like the late Major Musa Jammeh, and the late Captain Momodou Tumbul Tamba; twins of evil whose chilling finality was long predicted by numerous people who either suffered from their heavy-handedness or were eyewitnesses to their unparalleled brutalities.
Predictably, the errant jurist sentenced Sanyang to life imprisonment and today, like most other officers, the tragic figure sits behind the harrowing granite walls of Mile II Central Prisons; a place I have long called
Alieu Badara Ceesay formerly of the Nusrat High School and a graduate of Fort Benning, Georgia in the USA who despite official reports that he escaped during the prisoner transfer, we report with overwhelming evidence from our most authoritative State House sources, that he too was severely tortured, his head wrapped with heavy-duty trash bags and forced to confess. Reveal our sources; Ceesay was beaten with heavy-duty electric cables that left him in a pool of blood while the thugs continued to kick, pummel and simultaneously hitting his head and eyes with AK-47 riffle butts. Only the gods of Marena Parade; the ill-fated avenue where the predacious National Intelligence Agency (NIA) is headquartered, know how many times Lieutenant Ceesay lapsed into coma and then regained consciousness during these cruel torture sessions by rogues masquerading as military officers. Ceesay is survived by a wife and a young son about 7 years old son.
Lieutenant Sainey Mendy formerly a star student at the
Regimental Sergeant Major Alpha Bah (a.k.a Lesso Fula for bed). A member of the GNA and Intake under the British Army Training Team (BATT). Bah who enlisted in 1988 was a veteran of the Liberian war with Sir Jackal- Sgt. Alhagie Cham-Joof. Remembered as a brave soldier, Alpha had also served in the military crisis in Guinea Bissau and was so famous that soldiers referred to him as the Alkalis (Village Chief) of Bakau Military Depot, an accolade informers at the barracks twisted making President Jammeh believe that was a potential threat to his regime. In his forced video confession, Bah had asked President Jammeh to spare their lives considering that they were very young and recently married. He invoked the ominous fate of his two boys who would be fatherless should he executed. All that fell in deaf ears and like the erstwhile NIA Director General Daba Marena, Lt. Alieu Badara Ceesay, Lt. Ebou Lowe and Staff Sergeant Manlafi Corr, Sgt. Major Alpha Bah too was severely tortured and then brutally executed by President Yahya Jammeh’s thugs. According to our sources, these five officers would have remained an embarrassment to the Jammeh regime had they seen the light of day because they were severely tortured with scars.
Breaking News: Our Final yet the most disturbing and scariest as we revisit
with PA!
The impoverished nation of The Gambia, is currently witnessing untold human rights, social and political crisis. Faced by political and economic uncertainties, The Gambia is the scene for extra judicial killings, cold blooded murder, abductions, arrest and torture of political opponents. The country is on the brink of total collapse, in view of Gambia’s worsening rights and political crisis. Africa’s most ruthless and brutal dictator Yahya Jammeh is ruling the tiny West African country with impunity, showing little or no respect for the rule of law and basic freedoms of the citizenry.
Since coming to power in July of 1994, Mr. Jammeh has been constantly undermining the country’s constitution, with the sole objective of entrenching his leadership. He pioneered all kinds of draconian laws, ranging from the setting up the National Media Commission, the infamous Indemnity Bill and the Local Government Act.
While the National Media Commission was aimed at the muzzling the private press, the Indemnity Act, gave license to our security forces to shoot and kill citizens without having the fear of being arraigned before any court of law. The indemnity Act also gave sweeping powers to the President to pardon security forces, who killed dozens of Gambian students in April of 2000. The students were protesting against the killing of their colleague Ebrima Barry. Barry was reportedly beaten to death by the personnel of Fire and Ambulance Services. The following students were killed by the security forces.
1. Baboucarr Badjie, Talinding Arabic school
2. Wuyai Foday Mansareh, Anglican Institute
3. Momodou Lamin Chune, Latrikunda Junior Secondary school
4. Momodou Lamin Njie GTTI
5. Claesco Pierra, New Jewswang Secondary school,
6. Karomo Barrow ICE High school
7. Regional Carrol
8. Lamin A Bojang
9. Ousman Sabally, Brikamaba
10.Sainey Nyabally, Brikamaba
11.Bamba Jobarteh, Armitage Senior Secondary School
12.Unidentified teenager killed
13.Abdoulie Sanyang
14. Omar Barrow, former journalist/Red Cross Volunteer was also shot dead.
The amended Local Government Act, empowered the President to fire elected Mayors and other Local Government leaders in the country. The President also reserves the right to dissolve Municipal Councils anytime he deems it necessary. The passage of the Local Government Act, signals the end of free and fair elections in The Gambia. Voters are being stripped off their constitutional guaranteed right to elect their local leaders. The President has been empowered by law to overrule such powers. He can fire local leaders without cause.
From 1994 to date, Jammeh has been ruling The Gambia with an iron-fist. There are many unresolved murders in The Gambia. The state, which is often suspected as the prime suspect, in such atrocities, had never demonstrated any interest or commitment to bringing the killers of such citizens to book. A classical case was the murder of the founding Editor of the Banjul based Point Newspaper, Deyda Hydara. Since the murder of Hydara in December of 2004, there has not been any serious investigations conducted by this administration. The Government instead came with a bogus confidential report, in which it tried to blackmail the slain editor.
Another blood bath hits The Gambia in July of 2005, when President Jammeh personally instructed the killing of 60 West African Immigrants, 40 of whom were Ghanaians. The immigrants were mistaken as dissident rebels poised to disrupt the country’s ailing democratic process. The following Security officials were linked to the killings of the Ghanaians.
1. Major Musa Jammeh- Deceased
2. Captain Tumbul Tamba- Deceased
3. Ousman Sonko-Interior Minister
4. Staff Sergeant Sanna Manjang- Active Duty
5. Staff Sergeant Malick Jatta- Active Duty
6. Lieutenant Kawsu Camara, alias Bombaredeh- Active Duty
7. Other unnamed State Guard Solders.
In March, of 2006, the Government also summarily executed five senior Gambian security officials, who were suspected of having hands in the March abortive coup, led by the erstwhile army Chief Colonel Ndure Cham. The following officers were executed by the Government without any form of legal recourse:
1. Daba Marena, former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency
2. Lt. Ebou Lowe,
3. 2nd Lt. Alieu Ceesay
4. Warrant Officer Alpha Bah
5. Staff Sgt. Manlafi Corr.
In a press release issued shortly before the killing of these former service chiefs, the Government claimed that the men escaped while being escorted to a jail house in the Central River Division. It issued the said story, in a bid to conceal the killing of the above mentioned former security chiefs. Sources close to the Army Command said the men were executed in grand style by personnel of the State Guards, known as the jungullars.
Journalist Manneh Feared Dead!!
Journalist Ebrima Chief Manneh has been missing for over a year now. There are fears that Manneh must have been secretly executed by the Government. His family, the Gambian local media and the Ghana based Media Foundation for West Africa, had launched numerous appeals for the Government to produce the body of the missing journalist without success.
Concerned by Manneh’s plight, the Media Foundation filed a court action at the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) court in Abuja against the Government of The Gambia. The said case is pending for judgment, even though The Gambian authorities had openly treated the Sub-regional court with contempt, by failing to show up in court to defend itself.
To further catalogue the atrocities committed by the Jammeh administration, it’s imperative to cite the unfinished persecution, meted out to local journalists- most importantly the Independent Newspaper.
Before the illegal closure of the Independent, the Government through its agents at the NIA, had systematically tortured Editor Musa Saidykhan and Madi Ceesay. The journalists were accused of publishing articles endangering “National Security.”
Freedom Newspaper Under Attack!!!
In addition, following the hacking of the Freedom Newspaper, by agents of The Gambian Government, dozens of the paper’s subscribers were arrested and tortured by the state. Some workers whose names appeared on the so called list of the Freedom Newspaper subscribers, were also fired from their jobs, with threats of dragging them to court. An arrest warrant was issued for our former Banjul Bureau Chief Editor Omar Bah. The arrest warrant was aired both on public radio and Television for days.
Armed soldiers were dispatched to get Editor Bah alive or dead. Editor Bah narrowly escapes death, as he luckily crossed into neighboring Senegal untouched. Other Freedom Newspaper subscribers suffered body pain as a result of the tortured they have suffered from the hands of the NIA. This author’s family were also routinely persecuted by the Gambian state.
The hackers posted a false statement on the Freedom Newspaper, claiming that the Editor Pa Nderry MBai had pledged his allegiance to the Ruling Party and was poised to return home with a former official of the Government Ebou Jallow. They also claimed that the list of the subscribers posted on the Freedom Newspaper and Pro-Government Newspaper, the Daily Observer, were Editor MBai’s informants.
Their ultimate goal was to smear my credibility as a journalist and also to instill fear into the population. Despite such blackmailing tactics, the Freedom Newspaper is still rattling Jammeh’s cage. The paper is more dynamic and popular today. The paper continues to command its leading role on the cyberspace online journals.
The Government of The Gambia, had applied all kinds of censorship mechanism in a bid to ban the Freedom Newspaper in The Gambia. It blocked the paper’s main IP address on numerous times. This was contained in the United States Human Rights Report on The Gambia, for the year 2006 and 2007. The most recent case involves the new owners of GAMTEL, who were unhappy with the paper’s reportage of a looming bankruptcy at GATEL. The new owners who reached a partnership with The Gambian Government, has resorted to blocking the Freedom Newspaper IP address in The Gambia.
Following an international outcry, the paper resurfaces in The Gambia weeks later. There is internet censorship in The Gambia. The Government also arrest and prosecute citizens caught reading the Freedom Newspaper. Many read the Freedom Newspaper in secret.
The International Community Should Step In!!
With all these rights and political crisis, taking place in The Gambia, Gambia’s plight is still a major cause for concern. The International Community is not very responsive to Gambia’s plight. Our people are dying on a daily basis in the hands of the ruthless Gambian dictator. Political oppression and marginalization continues to be the order of the day.
Gambia’s case is similar to the Zimbabwean situation. Jammeh and Mugabe shared common characteristics. The two, have been known for their bully foreign policies against the West.
In the case of Zimbabwe, Britain and the United States acted rightly by imposing sanctions against the Mugabe Government. Such sanctions are welcomed because they are geared towards ending impunity in the Southern African country.
We still cannot understand why similar measures are not meted out to the Government of The Gambia. There are enough justifications for sanctions to be imposed against the Jammeh Government.
The liberties and political freedoms of Gambians supersede the interest of President Jammeh and his partners in crimes. The West must help to restore democracy, rule of law and civility in The Gambia. This can be done in the form of cutting aid for the country. They can also impose visa restriction against corrupt Gambian officials and their families.
Besides, what’s the rational behind supporting a murderous and corrupt Government, which is not accountable to its citizens. Corruption is endemic in The Gambia today. The President is richer than the state. His sudden riches came as a surprise to many Gambians. Here was a person, whose bank account was in the red at the time of the illegal coup, he spearheaded against the deposed Jawara Government.
Ailing Gambian Economy
The Gambia was ranked among the failed states in Africa by the International Human Index. Institutionalized corruption is hindering economic growth in The Gambia.
The nation’s poverty ratio is on the rise, with low life expectancy rate. The average Gambian, lives below one dollar a day, while unemployment continues to threaten the lives of the poverty stricken citizens.
The Gambia is a private sector led economy. The Government is not investor friendly. It arrest, detain and deport foreign investors. The latest case involves the Carnegie mining company, whose General Manager has been charged with economic crime by the state. Carnegie has been of falsifying mining data information by The Gambian Government.
Diseases such as Malaria, diabetics and HIV/Aids are on the increase. The President’s false claim that he has found cure for aids and diabetics had brought false hope for Gambian aids sufferers.
Despite concerns raised by the United Nations, Medical Scientists and aids activists about the potential implications of Jammeh’s false aids cure claims, the President is still insisting that he got cure for aids.
Self Perpetual Rule
There is no indication at this hour suggesting that President Yahya Jammeh will step down from power in the short term. He has fortified himself with his Jolla ethic group by hiring them into key positions in Government. He jails, tortures and kills his opponents.
Citizens hope for effecting political change, through the ballot box, has been shattered, thanks to Jammeh’s direct control of the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission dance to the dictates of the President. He hires and fires its official at his own accord. To some extent, this had affected the independence of the Independent Electoral Commission.
The Gambia is at cross-roads. “Jammeh is likely to die violently, because he does not subscribe to the ideals of democratic change of Government. He undermines the constitution with impunity. The Gambia is on the road to full blown political turmoil. Jammeh is not the type who would relinquish the Presidency like that. He wants to rule for life and shall face the consequences sooner or later. All despots end in disgrace.” Warns a political observer.
All efforts should be made to end impunity in The Gambia. Impunity is at its peak in The Gambia. Gambians deserve better life. Impunity breeds lawlessness. The world should act now to salvage the impoverished nation of The Gambia.
EDITOR CAN BE REACH AT panoramanews@live.com or ndeylowe@live.com
