Gambia: Jammeh issues death threats to rights advocates

President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia on September 21, 2009 issued a stern warning to Gambians in a television broadcast not to have anything to do with international human rights advocates, who he described as “saboteurs” bent on “destabilizing” the country.

Speaking in a rare interview on state-owned government-controlled Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS), President Jammeh threatened that: "those who want to work with these so-called defenders of human rights, thinking they will be defended by them are wrong. If you want to destabilize the country, sowing confusion and suffering to my people, I will ensure that you are dead.”

President Jammeh continued saying: “what I want to make very clear to each (you) and these so-called defenders of human rights is that I will never allow anyone to destabilize the country on behalf of the campaign to promote the rights of man.”

Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) sources reported that President Jammeh’s latest threats could be a reaction to a September 3, 2009 announcement by the United States Embassy in Banjul. The Embassy has approved a proposal to promote human rights through building the capacities of civil society organisations including the Gambian Press Union (GPU) and the Network of Human Rights Journalists. Since the announcement President Jammeh has consistently chastised human rights activists.

Despite incessant unlawful arrests, killings, disappearances and other inhuman atrocities, committed against journalists and media, the GPU is the only institution that the authorities have not been able to have control over. Other civil society organisations such as the students and labour union have been undermined.

MFWA condemns these threats and appeals to the members of the United Nation currently meeting in the United States of America to call the bluff of Yahya Jammeh.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-21-24 24 70
Fax: 233-21-22 10 84
Email: [email][email protected]/[email protected]
Website: www.mediafound.org