Considering
the media terrain in The Gambia, the BBC Sierra Leone correspondent has stated
that journalists in The Gambia have been among the bravest in the world.
In
addition to the laws of false information, sedition, libel and slander and
other legal and legislative impediments, the arrest, exile and other
intimidation tactics of the state have made the practice of journalism in The
Gambia extra risky.
“Practicing
the trade [journalism] in The Gambia has not been easy, especially in the
recent past, but I salute Gambian journalists for continuing to keep pushing
despite,” Mr Fofana said in an interview with The Point newspaper yesterday.
The
BBC correspondent, who is in the country to cover the ongoing political impasse
following the 1st December presidential election, was at The Point to pay a
courtesy call on the paper’s management.
Widely
hailed in The Gambia for his work, Mr Fofana said: “Gambian journalists are
doing a lot better than I because they are here facing the challenges on a
day-to-day basis whereas me as a foreign correspondent here have certain
privileges that they don’t have. This
makes Gambian journalists a lot more resolute, determined and bolder than I
am.”
He
further pointed out that it is a lot better practicing journalism in his home
country, Sierra Leone, than it is in The Gambia because the former has a
relatively free environment for the practice of journalism.
The
tall and lanky man paid glowing tribute to the late co-founder and editor of
The Point, saying the history of the Gambian media will not be complete without
mentioning Deyda Hydara.
He
also hailed Pap Saine for keeping true to the ideals of the paper and not
giving up on the work he (Mr Saine) and the late Hydara started at the
inception of The Point.
“Deyda
Hydara should be smiling wherever he is now in his grave,” Fofana said, while
expressing his resolve to work with The Point and the Gambian media in general
to share his experience with the reporters as a way of enhancing their
capacities.
He
said he is open to work on collaborative projects in promotion and enhancement
of journalism in The Gambia, adding that whenever the need for such arises he
would make himself available.
Election
sample
The
BBC correspondent said as he goes about his coverage in The Gambia, he had
observed and is impressed with the way people in the country conducted
themselves during the election.
“There
are not many countries in the world where you will go to and after the
announcement of election results you don’t see shops and homes being attacked,
or bullet and teargas being fired while the celebration is on,” Fofana said.
“The
peacefulness of Gambia’s election is remarkable and Gambians should be proud of
that and the contribution of the Gambian media to this was so remarkable. Gambians should maintain the peace because it
is due to the peace that the Gambian economy, particularly tourism, continues
to thrive.”
Second
home
The
Sierra Leonean said he feels very much at home whenever he is The Gambia
because the two countries have a lot of things in common.
“I
believe that as a Gambian, unless you have been to Sierra Leone, your
‘Gambianess’ is not complete; also as a Sierra Leonean, unless you have been to
The Gambia, your ‘Sierra Leoneaness’ is not complete,” Fofana said.
“There
is a lot that we share in common, and for me The Gambia is my second home.”
There
is a sizeable community of Sierra Leoneans in The Gambia who have settled down
in the country with their families and there is a cordial state-to-state
relationship but the BBC Sierra Leone correspondent noted that the two
countries have not fully tapped the resources they have in common.
