The Gambia: Court case against human rights workers raises eyebrows

Coalition for Human Rights in the Gambia, Dakar, Senegal.
Press Release
11th November 2010

URGENT: The Gambia: The trial of two Women's Rights Defenders Dr. Isatou Touray and Amie Bojang-Sissoho : A theft Case Without A Complainant – Yolocamba Solidaridad Not Present In Court As Principal Witness

The last court hearing of the trial of Dr. Isatou Touray, the Executive Director and Amie Bojang- Sissoho, Programme Coordinator for the Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices (GAMCOTRAP) that took place on last Wednesday, 3 November 2010, before Magistrate Emmanuel Nkea of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court has begun to raise eyebrows.

The Duo were accused of theft of 30000 Euro from Yolocamba Solidaridad. The whole Gambia was expecting the principal witnesses to be Spanish citizens representing Yolocamba Solidaridad: but they were absent. It appeared that the Gambia Government was representing Yolocamba Solidaridad.

The court heard the testimonies of two female circumcisers, Aminata Damba and Kaddy Damba, from Taibatu Village in Wulli West, Upper River Region (URR) and Saruja village in the Central River Region (CRR) respectively. The women explained how they got involved in working with GAMCOTRAP and from whom they each received more than D3000 (over US$100). One of them even said that even though it is her profession to be a female circumciser, if the Government were to ask her to stop she would do so. This should be noted by all those who are combating harmful traditional practices. This also raises the question whether the Government is really committed to abolishing harmful traditional practices like Female Genital Mutilation when professionals are even waiting for it to take the lead.

Innocent villagers were dragged to court to testify the benefits they have received so that they would drop the knife as circumcisers. The whole exercise of dropping the knife was done at the Stadium in Basse (about 400km from Banjulthe capital) and witnessed by all the District Chiefs of the Upper River Region,Village heads and Women’s leaders representing the Circumcisers, and other dignitaries and representatives of National and International organizations and institutions including a representative of Yolocamba Solidaridad, Maria Jesus Rodriguez alias Susy who also gave a statement at the celebration. The Coalition for Human Rights in The Gambia only hopes that the state will not dare to drag Gambian village women to court and exclude representatives of Yolocamba Solidaridad from appearing as witnesses.

The new prosecutor Superintendent Sainey Joof informed the court of his intention to register an additional charge of fraudulent accounting but this was rejected by the team of defence counsels led by Mr Lamin Mboge. According to eyewitness accounts, the court was full to capacity and the witnesses looked infuriated and distracted by their lack of comprehension of what was going on.

It could be recalled that the two prominent Women Human Rights Defenders spent ten days in detention before being granted bail on Wednesday 20thOctober, 2010 after a hearing in a crowded courtroom at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court. The bail bond is One Million Five Hundred Thousand Gambian Dalasis (over US$ 50, 000) each, and two sureties with a landed property.

Dr. Isatou Touray, the Executive Director and Amie Bojang- Sissoho, Programme Coordinator for the Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices (GAMCOTRAP) were arrested on Monday October 11th, 2010 by Gambian security personnel, detained at the Banjul Police station where they spent the night and then whisked to Banjul Magistrates’ Court the following day October 12th, which refused them bail and sent them to Mile Two Central Prisons. They were charged with theft of 30,000 (Thirty Thousand) Euros received from a Spanish NGO Yolocamba Solidaridad.

It is difficult to comprehend why the Gambia government is interested in this case which is simply a civil matter involving two NGOs. Moreover, the report of the panel it had earlier set up is at variance with the allegations. The Coalition for Human Rights in The Gambia is calling on the Gambia Government to desist from intimidating witnesses and to allow them to speak freely without coercion or manipulation. It urges the government to withdraw the criminal case from court, to allow the two NGOs to sort out any problem that may exist between them and for civil matters to take civil processes without any interference. The Coalition further demands that if the representatives of Yolocamba Solidaridad are not to appear as principal witnesses to show beyond doubt what they are claiming to have been stolen from them, then the Gambia Government should withdraw the case from court and allow them to pursue their claim through civil suit.

Questions are being asked by our colleagues abroad whether GAMCOTRAP may not be seen as a political threat by the Government. The Coalition is therefore calling on all human rights defenders to follow the testimony of the women from the villages. One would discover that they are usually close to the Governors and headmen of villages, who are usually involved by NGOs because of the traditional set up. The Coalition is also calling on the defence to bring all those Governors, Village Heads, Women leaders to testify how much they have consumed and received from GAMCOTRAP and whether they did so for any political reason. This should be transformed into the best forum to combat harmful traditional practice by showing how everyone is a beneficiary of programmes, irrespective of party affiliation or non involvement in politics. The two women will again appear in court again on November 22nd, 2010.

NOTE:

Dr. Isatou Touray and Ms. Amie Bojang-Sissoho have for many years been active in the promotion of gender equality, rights of women and children, particularly in the fight against Female Genital Mutilation and other discriminatory practices. Dr. Touray is also Secretary General of the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC). She is a board member of Women Living Under Muslim Laws for the past two years, and also a board member of MUSAWA based in Malaysia. At the national level Dr. Touray is a board member of the network of women positively living with HIV/AIDS in the Gambia – MUTAPOLA and Chairperson of the Network for Peace Building in Africa – WANEP.

Dr. Touray was named ‘Gambian of the Year’ in 2008 by The News and Report Weekly Magazine for her work around FGM and promoting the rights of women and children. An award she received when she was attending a training programme in the Bwiam.

Dr. Touray was also awarded the “Woman of Courage” in 2008 by the American Embassy in Banjul. She was also a winner of the One Hundred Heroines of the World by the Rochester Women’s Health Project at Rutgers University in the United States of America.

Amie Bojang-Sissoho is a journalist and has contributed significantly to women and children’s development particularly in the area of educational programming at the Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS). She has initiated and has been instrumental in creating programmes that are grounded on the principles of promoting gender equality and women’s human rights. She was also instrumental in bringing out the voices of the poor and powerless women using the radio as a tool for empowerment. Ms. Bojang-Sissoho is also Chairperson of the Young Journalists’ Association of the Gambia – YJAG.

Both women have been active in various networks relating to women’s human rights promotion.

For more information, contact +221 33 867 95 87

ORGANISATIONS:-

- Inter African Network for Women, Media, Gender and Development – (FAMEDEV)

- International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

- Syndicat des Professionnels de l’Information et de la Communication du Sénégal (SYNPICS)

- Rencontre Africaine pour le Défense Des Droits de l’Homme (RADDHO),

- Amnesty International, Section Senegal

- Radio Alternative Voice for Gambians-Radio AVG

- Article 19

- Organisation Nationale des Droits de l’Homme (ONDH)

- Réseau Presse et Parlement du Sénégal (REPPAS)

- West African Journalists Association (WAJA).