The
president of The Gambia, Adama Barrow, has indicated his commitment to promote
and protect press freedom as well as dealing with past issues of impunity for
crimes against journalists in the country.
“A
country cannot develop without strong media and that is why my government is
committed to taking steps such as reforming media laws and working with
partners to ensure a freer environment for the operations of the media,”
President Barrow said during a meeting with a delegation from the Media
Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in his office at the capital Banjul.
The
President expressed gratitude to the MFWA saying “I thank you for all the great
support to The Gambian people over the years and I assure you that I will be
media-friendly.”
The
MFWA as part of its effort to strengthen the media to support the transition
and democratic consolidation processes in The Gambia has deployed a four-member
media-assessment mission to The Gambia.
The
delegation which shall be in The Gambia for one-week is holding discussions
with government officials, media community and other key actors on the ground.
The mission will produce a report that will highlight the media context in The
Gambia, the challenges facing the industry and make recommendations on processes
to strengthen the media.
High
on the agenda of the MFWA mission will also be discussions on outstanding
issues of impunity for crimes perpetrated against journalists by the Yahya
Jammeh regime. The discussions on the issue of impunity will be mainly focused
on the non-compliance by the Jammeh regime of three judgements of the ECOWAS
Community Court of Justice delivered in favour of three journalists, Chief
Ebrima Manneh (in 2008); Musa Saidykhan (in 2010); and Deyda Hydara (in 2014).
To
this end the MFWA delegation met the family of Chief Ebrima Manneh, a victim of
enforced disappearance in 2006.
“I
want to know who murdered my son,” said 94 year old Mr Sarjo Manneh, father of
the disappeared journalist as he sobbed while talking to the delegation.
Mr
Manneh said all he wanted was justice and has been having sleepless nights
since his son disappeared.
The
MFWA delegation assured Manneh’s family of the commitment of the organisation
and its partners such as IFEX to ensure that justice is done and impunity for
crimes against journalists brought to an end in The Gambia.
The
MFWA and its national partner the Gambia Press Union have been working
collaboratively over the years to promote press freedom under the repressive
Jammeh regime. The two organisations are therefore committed to working
together to strengthen the Gambian media sector
