Deyda's killing was an act of terror

by PK Jarju

Baba Galleh

Baba Galleh Jallow,  former Daily Observer editor-in-chief and CEO of the now closed Independent Newspaper, has described the killing of Deyda Hydara as an act of terrorism.

Deyda Hydara, founder and managing editor of The Point Newspaper was murdered by unknown gun men on December 16, 2004, while on his way home.

Speaking to  PK Jarju on the eve of the fourth anniversary of Mr Hydara's death, Mr Jallow said: "I think Deyda was killed because he was critical of the Jammeh regime. I think he was killed because he constituted an unbearable voice of truth to people who cannot bear the sound of truth. I think he was killed as a warning to others that they would be risking their lives if they dared to be too critical of the government. I think it is absurd to imagine that the government is doing anything to catch Deyda’s killers. I think the government killed Deyda. How can the killer catch the killer?"

Mr Jallow added that it was simply unbelievable to think that Deyda Hydara could be so brutally murdered as he have always tempered his opinions with a noticeable degree of restraint and respect for whoever was the object of his critiques.

Below is the full text of Mr Jallow's interview.

PK Jarju: It’s been four years now since the brutal killing of Deyda Hydara. What do you make of the whole incident?

Baba Galleh: I think first of all, that Deyda’s killing was an act of terrorism. Those who killed Deyda were out to instill terror into the hearts of those who, like Deyda, dare to be critical of the powers that be. Secondly, the fact that no one has been arrested for the murder is indicative of a dismal lack of law and order in The Gambia.

 Are you saying that the Gambia is an anarchic state?

Baba Galleh: I wouldn’t call it a state of anarchy because that would imply saying there is no government in The Gambia. I am saying that there is dismal lack of respect for the rule of law and order in The Gambia. Deyda’s killing is just one of several cases that remain unsolved or for which no one has been arrested. There are the cases of Ousman Koro Ceesay, of Almamo Manneh, of the student victims of April 2000, of the Radio 1FM and The Independent arson attacks, of Daba Marena and his co-prisoners, and more recently, of the foreign nationals from Ghana and other countries. I find it ironic that a state that constantly brags about its determination to curb criminality and insecurity has not been able to arrest those who committed any of these criminal acts. The only answer –to my mind – is that the state itself committed the crimes.

 Why do you think Deyda was killed?

Baba Galleh: I think Deyda was killed because he was critical of the Jammeh regime. I think he was killed because he constituted an unbearable voice of truth to people who cannot bear the sound of truth. I think he was killed as a warning to others that they would be risking their lives if they dared to be too critical of the government.

 Do you think the government is doing enough to catch Deyda's killer?

Baba Galleh: I think it is absurd to imagine that the government is doing anything to catch Deyda’s killers. I think the government killed Deyda. How can the killer catch the killer?

Do you have any prove to back your claims that Deyda was murdered by the state?

Baba Galleh: I have reason to think – and that’s the word I use – that Deyda was murdered by the government. Has Jammeh not repeatedly threatened to send his critics six feet deep? Deyda himself had reported receiving death threats he had reason to believe came from the government. Then there are the previous unsolved murder cases mentioned above. Moreover, the fact that no one has been arrested for the murder is all the more reason to believe that he was killed by the state. Or is the state telling us that it is powerless to stop murders in the country?

So are you saying that Jammeh was lying to the Gambian people when he said on GRTS that he does not believe in killing people?

Baba Galleh: If Jammeh did not believe in killing people, why on earth did he join the military? I think one has to believe in the possibility of killing people before enlisting as a soldier, because that’s exactly what soldiers are trained to do – kill people when considered necessary. So that was just one of Jammeh’s many outbursts of pre-thinking talk. Or is he saying that people become soldiers in order to kill wild animals only? Or that people killed by soldiers are less than human beings?

 Do you think there is a cover up in the investigations?

 Baba Galleh I think there are no investigations to cover up in the first place. That is my strong conviction.

What is your response then to the dossier issued on June 5, 2005 by the department of state for the Interior on the death of Deyda?

Baba Galleh: I think that dossier was meant as a means of closing the case, of claiming that investigations had been conducted and the findings made public. I think it was a fake dossier, a decoy to deflect public attention and interest in the case. And it failed.

What type of person was Deyda?

Baba Galleh: I knew Deyda to be a very kind-hearted and very principled and courageous man. He never hesitated to speak his mind and was a good listener.

 What was your initial reaction when you heard the news that Deyda was murdered?

Baba Galleh: I was shocked, like all right-thinking Gambians. To think that Deyda could be so brutally murdered was simply unbelievable. After all, he always tempered his opinions with a noticeable degree of restraint and respect for whoever was the object of his critiques.

Deyda Hydara

Deyda’s killing was among a string of attacks against the private press including The Independent. In your mind, what do you think was the motive?

Baba Galleh: The motive for press censorship is always fear of the truth, fear of public enlightenment, fear of the people’s power that could grow out of being politically informed. It is always an act of cowardice by irresponsible and paranoid regimes that seek to keep the people in a perpetual state of darkness and passive subjugation.

 Government investigations into the arson attacks on The Independent has not yield any positive result. Do you think that will be the same with Deyda’s case?

Baba Galleh: As I said above, it is absurd to think that the government will carry out any serious investigations into any crimes of a political nature because the same government is responsible for committing those very crimes. How can the thief catch the thief? People should stop asking the government to investigate these crimes. It is just so absurd.

 So instead what should people do when they cannot trust their government?

Baba Galleh: It depends on what they can do or feel they can do. They can try to remove the government from power, they can criticize the government, they can accuse the government of being untrustworthy, they can withdraw their support. It all depends on just what is possible for them to do and what they see themselves as capable of doing in the circumstances. It also depends on whether they want to do anything than sit by and watch.

Do you think the failure to apprehend Deyda’s killers and arsonist of The Independent exposes the government’s weaknesses in providing a safe and secure environment for media practitioners in the country?

Baba Galleh: No. I think the government is responsible for these crimes and that is why no one has been apprehended. I don’t think that the government is interested in providing a safe and secure environment for media practitioners in the country, unless, of course, if they are of the boot-licking sort.

 President Jammeh has often accused Gambian journalists and online contributors abroad of writing false stories to tarnish his image and the Gambia’s. What’s your reaction to that?

Baba Galleh: President Jammeh has no moral right to accuse any journalist of anything. If he has the audacity to close media houses without observing the due process of law, of having people arrested and indefinitely locked up without any charges, what right does he have to blame anyone for tarnishing his image? He is tarnishing his own image. What journalists report is what’s taking place or what they believe is taking place. And if any journalist reports the untruth, it is for the law to deal with them, not the president. The president is neither the state nor the law. Jammeh thinks he loves The Gambia more than anyone else but that is simply a manifestation of his extreme delusion. All Gambians love The Gambia and being president does not make anyone love their country more than anyone else. So he should quit saying such nonsense.

What do you make of the closure of The Independent?

Baba Galleh: The closure of The Independent was an act of naked criminal injustice. We know that the state has the potential authority to close down a media outlet. But the process of closure has to proceed according to the due process of law. To simply wake up one fine day and use armed men to close a private media outlet and then turn around and brag about it as Jammeh did, is further evidence of his unsuitability for the position of head of state.

The burnt printing press of The Independent

 Do you have any plans to challenge its closure in the courts?

Baba Galleh: No. I will not give the regime any modicum of credibility by challenging its own crimes in its own courts. I believe that the courts are powerless to do anything in cases like The Independent’s in today’s Gambia. The Independent was closed to stop the truth from being told. But the truth is still being told. So I would challenge the state to eat The Independent if they can. Let them erase the memory of the paper if they can. Let them go back to June 1999 when the paper started and confiscate and burn all the issues ever published. If they do that, I’ll grant them victory. Otherwise, I will maintain that they are mere cowards and bullies who can deny hundreds of people their daily bread just to make one man feel comfortable in his bed of lies...

 Are you saying Jammeh does not have the interests of the Gambian people at heart?

Baba Galleh: I am saying that he places his own personal interests above the interests of the Gambian people.

Jammeh once told GRTS that you begged him to drop libel charges against you for publishing a story in December 1999 captioned New wife for Jammeh. Is that true?

Baba Galleh: If he said I did, it was totally untrue. I have never begged Jammeh to drop any charges against me and I have never asked anyone to do so on my behalf. And as a point of correction for you, our caption for that story had a question mark after it. It read “New Wife for Jammeh?” rather than “New Wife for Jammeh.” That’s a significant difference. Jammeh has this bad habit of talking without thinking. He seems to imagine that because he is the president, he can say anything that crosses his mind and so often says things that are totally untrue or nonsensical.

How do you see the current atmosphere in which Gambian journalists are operating?

Baba Galleh: I think on the home front, the atmosphere is clearly difficult. Journalists working for privately owned media houses now have to watch their words or else… On the other hand, there are the online media, which are doing a great job of keeping the flame of free speech burning without any immediate threats to their persons or properties.

They have to watch their words or else what?

Baba Galleh: Or else face the consequences.

As far as freedom of expression is concerned, would you classify Jammeh as an enemy of free speech?

Baba Galleh: Jammeh is not only an enemy of free speech; he is an enemy of free thought, and therefore an enemy of viable progress for our country.

The killing of Deyda and other attacks on the media is triggering a mass exodus of journalists from the Gambia. Don’t you think that is what the government wants?

Baba Galleh: I can say for certain that what they want is “no criticism.”

 Jammeh has often claimed that he is hard on the press in order to save the Gambia from being in flames like Sierra Leone. How will you react to that?

Baba Galleh: Well the press says exactly the same thing, that it is hard on the government to save The Gambia from sliding into a violent conflict situation. Sit-tight despotism and irresponsible governance, violations of people’s rights, disregard for the rule of law – these are some of the key reasons for the outbreak of conflict in Sierra Leone and elsewhere in Africa. So the press tries to warn the government of the dangers of getting engaged in these things. In any case, Jammeh has no authority to be hard on the press. That should be the role of the law enforcement agencies following the due process of law.

Why are you a critic of the Jammeh regime?

Baba Galleh: I am a critic of the Jammeh regime for many numbers of reasons. First among these is the fact that he betrayed the Gambian people; he lied to us; he had promised to spend only two years in power and return to barracks. He broke that promise with blatant impunity. He also broke his promise to put term limits in the constitution. He now claims ownership of our country and has become a sit-tight despot. He is intolerant of any form of dissent and denies Gambians the right to know and the right to peaceful change of leadership. He has no respect for constitutional provisions or for the rule of law. I guess if PK Jarju was president and behaved this way I would be his critic too.

So you mean the Gambia is colonised by Jammeh?

Baba Galleh: I mean Jammeh is holding The Gambian people hostage. We have records of him saying after the coup that no president will ever be allowed to spend more than ten years in power. That “in fact, ten years is too much.” Those are his exact words. We have records of him saying that he will return to barracks after a transition period of two years. He set up the National Consultative Committee to find out just how long people wanted the AFPRC to stay in power. The national consensus was two years. A constitutional review committee he set up recommended, and he publicly accepted, the idea of putting two five-year term limits for the president. Why did he fail to do all these things? Can he not legitimately be accused of being selfish and greedy for power and self-aggrandizement at the expense of the Gambian people? Is he waiting for another group of soldiers to come by and kick him out of power? Would such a thing not hurt the Gambian people?

Don’t you think that the existence of a national assembly and judiciary means that we are a democratic country?

Baba Galleh: Absolutely not. When the national assembly and judiciary are emasculated and turned into the personal properties and political instruments of the president, as ours clearly are, we cannot call that country a- democracy. The level of separation of powers, checks and balances between the three arms of government needed for a functional democracy are clearly not present in The Gambia. Does Jammeh not hire and fire judges and magistrates at will? Have we not had at least thirteen justice ministers in fourteen years of Jammeh’s government? Does he not expel national assembly members at will? Has there been a single instance of a government-sponsored piece of legislation being opposed by a majority in the national assembly? Democracy requires much more than the existence of these institutions.

As a critic of the Jammeh regime, you were subjected to so many arrests and detentions. Did it ever come to a point where you wanted to quit the profession?

Baba Galleh: No. I was arrested and locked up several times. But I refused to be intimidated because I knew that those arresting me were the criminals, not me. For my safety I had to leave The Gambia to pursue higher education in the United States. But I continue to write and to speak my mind and to call for an end to Jammeh’s politics of impunity.

 You are now separated from your family and friends as a result of your work. Do you have any regrets for being a journalist?

Baba Galleh: I have no regrets whatsoever. I would do it all over again, and even more, if I could.

 Supporters of the Jammeh regime say your postings are always critical of the regime no matter what it does. How do you see such criticisms?

Baba Galleh: Well, I respect people’s right to criticize me and to disagree with my views and opinions. And they are welcome to do so anywhere, anytime. I think such criticisms are healthy. No one should claim infallibility or consider himself or herself to be above criticism. After all, we are trying to build a democratic political culture in The Gambia whose cardinal principle would be tolerance and respect for contrary opinions. So I welcome those criticisms and even encourage them. That’s the type of society we want – a society in which people can openly disagree and criticize. So, no hard feelings at all for my critics.

 If you are to say anything positive about Jammeh what will it be?

Baba Galleh: Well, he is now a self-declared professor. I would say that’s so very positive.

 If called on by Jammeh to serve The Gambia in any capacity, will you accept the call?

Baba Galleh: Absolutely not. If I did, I would be accepting to serve him, and not The Gambia. I will never be part of a dictatorial regime that has no respect for human dignity, constitutional provisions, and the rule of law.

Politically, where do you think the Gambia is heading to?

Baba Galleh: What the future holds is anybody’s guess. I know that what we have today is a dictatorship and dictatorships historically spell trouble for their countries.

 Do you think Jammeh is responsible for Gambia’s problems?

Baba Galleh: He certainly is responsible for many of Gambia’s problems. I wouldn’t say he is responsible for all of Gambia’s problems because there are forces bigger than him at work within the international context.

Despite Gambia’s problems, Jammeh is still loved by the electorates. Why is that so?

Baba Galleh: Well, the answer to that question is far more complicated than can be satisfactorily answered in an interview of this nature. However, I would say that most people are not making the connection between their personal problems and the current government. Related to that is the nature of our political culture, our political habits of mind, how people see the government, what they understand to be the nature of government as an institution and the president as a leader of a twenty-first century society. I think what we can call the “mansa mentality” needs to be neutralized in the Gambian body politic before the majority of Gambians can start seeing the state for what it is and start making informed electoral choices.

 As a former schoolmate of Jammeh, what advise do you have for him?

Baba Galleh: Since Jammeh purports to be such a good and God-fearing Muslim, I would advise him to fulfil his promises to the Gambian people. The Koran makes it categorically clear that people who break their promises are hypocrites and I would guess Jammeh knows the verse I’m referring to. I would also advise him to quit acts of injustice if he is indeed as pious as he would like us to believe. The Koran and Sunnah are very clear on the need for Muslims to act with justice and for the leader to dispense justice equitably among his people. So in short, I would say to him: Mr. Jammeh be a good Muslim.

 Do you think the Gambian media is playing its role seriously?

Baba Galleh: Yes, I think some Gambian media outlets are playing their roles seriously. The online media community in Europe and the United States are doing great for our country. I think some Gambian media outlets are mere extensions of our good professor’s mouth, and are therefore not doing a good job at all.

Deyda's murder is one of Gambia's biggest tragedies

A former president of the Gambia Press Union (GPU) has described the assassination of Deyda Hydara on December 16, 2004 as the biggest tragedies that had ever befallen the Gambia.

In an interview with AllGambian, Mr Jawo who was a close friend of the late Deyda Hydara and is currently based in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, said it is extremely hard for any rational being to make sense as to why anyone would pull a trigger against a harmless person like Deyda.

"His assassination was no doubt one of the biggest tragedies that had ever befallen The Gambia. However, the apparent lack of interest by the Gambian authorities to thoroughly investigate this gruesome murder makes it even harder to comprehend. It is indeed hard to imagine such a thing happening in The Gambia, let alone to a harmless person like Deyda. He was not only a friend to everyone, but Deyda was also a kind-hearted person who was ever ready to assist anyone in need, regardless of ethnic, religious, political or social background. Therefore, it is hard to guess who might have killed him and why," Mr Jawo said.

Below is the full text of Mr Jawo’s interview with AllGambian's PK Jarju.

AllGambian: It has been four years now since the gruesome murder of Deyda Hydara. What do you make of the whole incident?

DAJ: It is extremely hard for any rational being to make sense as to why anyone would pull a trigger against a harmless person like Deyda. His assassination was no doubt one of the biggest tragedies that had ever befallen The Gambia. However, the apparent lack of interest by the Gambian authorities to thoroughly investigate this gruesome murder makes it even harder to comprehend.

AllGambian: How was it like as a friend of Deyda when you first got the call in the early hours of December 16, 2004 that he was killed?

DAJ: I had actually returned from a trip to Zambia on the very night that Deyda was killed, and it was early in the morning that a western diplomat called me on the telephone asking what I knew about what had happened to Deyda. I told her that I was not aware of anything happening to him. I then called Pap Saine who told me that they shot him dead the previous night. The news came to me like a dream and it only became a reality when several people started calling me about it.

AllGambian: Why do you think Deyda was killed?

DAJ: It was indeed hard to imagine such a thing happening in The Gambia, let alone to a harmless person like Deyda. He was not only a friend to everyone, but Deyda was also a kind-hearted person who was ever ready to assist anyone in need, regardless of ethnic, religious, political or social background. Therefore, it is hard to guess who might have killed him and why.

AllGambian: Are you surprised that no one has yet been arrested or charged with Deyda’s murder?

DAJ: Of course anyone concerned about equity and justice would be surprised that not only has no one yet been apprehended about his murder, but that the Gambian authorities do not even seem to be interested in investigating the case. They instead seem to treat his assassination like a non-event. It is hard to imagine such a heinous crime being committed in a close-knit society like ours and four years later, no one has been apprehended for it.

AllGambian: Some people are accusing the government of not doing enough to catch the killers of Deyda. Do you agree with that?

DAJ: It is definitely hard to understand why there is no visible sign that the Gambian authorities are actually investigation the case. Therefore, there is a lot of credibility in any allegations that the government is not doing enough to apprehend his killers.

AllGambian: Do you think there is a cover up in the investigations?

DAJ: While I am not in a position to categorically accuse the government or anyone of a cover-up in the investigations, but the very fact that it is four years and there are hardly any serious investigations going on gives a lot of credibility to such assumptions. Apart from anything else, Deyda was a Gambian citizen who, like all Gambians, deserved the protection of the Gambia government. Therefore, if such a gruesome crime has been committed against him, it is definitely the duty of the government to investigate it with the utmost seriousness, in order to bring the perpetrators to book. It is therefore quite disappointing that the government does not seem to give much regard to the investigations.

AllGambian: What was your response to the report issued on June 5, 2005 by the Department of State for the Interior on the investigations into Deyda’s death?

DAJ: Like everyone else concerned about justice and fair play, I was quite flabbergasted by the so-called “Confidential Report” issued by the Department of State for the Interior in June 2005, which has been the first and so far the only report they have issued on the investigations. Instead of coming up with some possible leads as to who may killed Deyda and why, the report was instead full of aspersions and innuendos about his reputation and way of life, virtually sifting the blame for his murder on his “wayward” character, portraying him as a womanizer and an irresponsible person who made many enemies for himself, all of which were far from the truth.

AllGambian: the Gambia Press Union was angry with the government for not pursuing their investigations in a scientific and professional manner, especially the use of modern means to trace the origin of the bullets extracted from Mr Hydara’s body. What would you say to that?

DAJ: Of course the GPU, and no doubt several other groups and individuals concerned with equity and justice have questioned the government’s commitment to carry out a thorough investigation of the case. As such, they called for the involvement of other more credible and experienced investigators to help the police apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime. However, the authorities have flatly refused to accept that proposition, claiming that they had the capacity to investigate the case, even though they seem to have completely abandoned the investigations.

AllGambian: The GPU urged the government in June 2005 to seek help from the UN, the Commonwealth or other friendly governments to investigate Mr Hydara’s murder as it was beyond their capacity. Do you think international assistance would have made any difference?

DAJ: There is absolutely no doubt that assistance from more experienced investigators from the very beginning when whatever evidence existed was fresh, could have made a lot of difference. I even understand that some western embassies were quite willing to seek the services of agencies in their countries to assist, but the authorities rejected it outright.

AllGambian: Considering the situation, it looks as if the authorities are done with Deyda’s case. Do you think the murderers will ever be apprehended?

DAJ: With the way things are going, it is hard to see how Deyda’s killers could ever be brought to book, especially when no investigation seems to be going on. We can therefore only hope and pray that the authorities will change their minds and give it the seriousness it deserves, otherwise, there is no chance of the killers being ever apprehended.

AllGambian: Mr Hydara was a personal friend of yours. Can you tell me what type of person he was?

DAJ: Of course Deyda was not only a long term colleague and a friend of mine, but he was also a friend to everyone. He was quite a selfless gentleman of the highest category, who was eager and always willing to help those in need. He had great respect for humanity and he had the best of intentions for this country. In a nutshell, Deyda was courageous, steadfast and committed to the ideals of journalism and to everything else he was engaged in.

AllGambian: Why did you and Ahmed Alota decide to write the Book, ‘A Living Mirror: The Life of Deyda Hydara’?

DAJ: Ahmed Alota and I decided to write the book on Deyda’s life because we thought someone needed to document Deyda’s fulfilled life for the benefit of future generations. Deyda was not only a journalist but a defender of human rights and a social activist who constantly fought against injustice and therefore his life had a lot of lessons for everyone, particularly the younger generation.

AllGambian: It was said that in the course of your research for the book, some people had warned you to desist from writing it because you could get killed. Why did you refuse to back down?

DAJ: Of course some people thought that we were deliberately looking for trouble by writing a book on the life of Deyda, and some even advised us to drop the idea. However, we were quite determined to do what we thought was the right thing to do, and that was to document Deyda’s impressive achievements. We knew we were not committing any crime by writing the book and as such, we never contemplated abandoning the idea because of the possibility of someone somewhere being intimidated by it.

AllGambian: In the book, you narrated a scene where Mr Hydara, after a good meal of benachin at his house, removed his shirt, pointed to his ribs and his left temple, and told his wife, “This is where they will shoot me.” Do you think he had foreseen his assassination?

DAJ: Yes we were told that bizarre story by Mrs. Maria Hydara (his wife), and in fact another friend of his also told us a similar story of how they went to a restaurant one day and he refused for them to sit at a particular table because he said someone may shoot at him there. However, whether he foresaw his assassination or those were just coincidental jokes, it is hard to tell.

AllGambian: Why did you risk your life to work for The Point weeks after the murder of Deyda?

DAJ: I was never an employee of The Point, even though I was involved with the editorial work for sometime after Deyda’s murder. It was a fulfillment of a promise I gave to Pap Saine on the day of the funeral when he suggested that he was going to give up as it was not worth the risk. I told him that we could not afford to let The Point die with Deyda because it was his legacy. I therefore gave him an undertaking that I was going to help, and that was my connection with the paper.

AllGambian: Many Gambian journalists have fled the country or quit the profession since Deyda’s murder. Don’t you think that was one of the objectives of whoever must have killed Deyda?

DAJ: While it is not easy to guess what the motives of Deyda’s killers were, but it makes a lot of sense to assume that the authorities would not be sad to see many journalists leave the country as it left fewer people in the country to criticize what they are doing.

AllGambian: How do you see the atmosphere in which the Gambian media is operating?

DAJ: The atmosphere under which the Gambian media operates is certainly far from ideal. There is no doubt that Deyda’s murder and the prevailing atmosphere of impunity, especially for those who commit crime against journalists and their media houses, has been one of the factors responsible for the decision by many journalists to leave the country. We have all witnessed the various crimes perpetrated against some media houses and some individual journalists which have never been investigated. We have also seen the arbitrary closure of media houses such as Citizen FM, Sud FM and The Independent without any court order.

Indeed, without the courage and resilience of Gambian journalists, there would never have been any independent media left in the country today as we know it. Most probably, all the surviving newspapers and other media houses would have been singing the same tunes as the Daily Observer.

AllGambian: Despite the return of the country to civilian rule, Decree 70/71 is still not repealed. Do you think the government has any plans of repealing it?

DAJ: There are of course no visible plans to repeal Decree 70/71 or any of the numerous other repressive media laws. What we have instead seen is the promulgation of even more draconian laws such as the Newspaper Amendment Act and the Criminal Code Amendment Act 2004, both of which make life harder for the independent media.

AllGambian: Finally, what do you think needs to be done in order to bring Deyda’s killers to justice?

DAJ: What everyone expects the authorities to do in order to show the whole world that they are indeed interested in apprehending Deyda’s killers is to show commitment to investigate his murder, otherwise, it is hard to see how Deyda’s murderers will ever be brought to book.

GPU STATEMENT ON THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MURDER OF DEYDA HYDARA

Today, December 16th 2008 marks four long years since the murder of the late Deyda Hydara, journalist and co-proprietor of The Point Newspaper.

Today, as everyday, our thoughts and our hearts are filled with memories of Deyda Hydara – his steadfastness in his belief in journalism as an agent of change, his doggedness to inform reliably, truthfully and impartially, his staunch and unwavering defence of the cardinal principles of this noble profession, his unrelenting desire to advocate for and champion the rights of the under privileged and most notably, his continued condemnation of all things unjust.

Therefore, every year, especially on December 16, 2004, we find ourselves saddened, our hearts filled with grief at the unnecessary loss of a rare species, an illustrious son of The Gambia, one who believed in freedom enough to die for it. But, more importantly, we find the silence and impunity following his brutal murder most foul deafening and intolerable.

Today, we reassure the family of Deyda Hydara that once again, as always, we stand heads and shoulders with you on this difficult journey. Deyda Hydara was a colleague, a mentor and a friend who shall never be forgotten. Deyda’s life was a life of courage. It is the basis of any true act of courage that for one who received death threats, for one who visualized that for him, the end would mean being gunned down, he stood firm in his beliefs, firm in his convictions and firm in his determination to fight against social injustices. We shall continue to advocate for the solution of this crime until it is solved.

Once again, the Gambia Press Union, on the anniversary of the killing of Deyda Hydara, is making an appeal to the Government of The Gambia in particular and the public at large, that four long years have passed and no significant information has been made available so far as to the extent and depth of investigations on the murder of Deyda Hydara. We are yet to see any form of bold commitments from the State Security Apparatus’ to resolving this crime.

The Gambia Press Union therefore, unequivocally condemns the slow pace of investigations into the murder of the late Deyda Hydara; Condemns the unwillingness of the State Security Apparatus’ to comment on and or divulge information into the extent of investigations into the murder of Deyda Hydara; Calls for a commitment from the State Authorities that it will do everything possible within its powers and mandate to see to it that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to book; Calls for a renewed commitment to the solving of this senseless murder for as time passes by so the trail goes colder and the crime more difficult to solve; Denounces the impunity enjoyed by attackers of media practitioners in The Gambia and laissez faire attitude of the Gambian Security authorities towards investigating and solving crimes against journalists and media institutions in The Gambia; Condemns the continued intolerable intimidation of the media, in particular the private press in The Gambia

We also call on the state authorities through the office of the Inspector General of Police, the Secretary of State for the Interior and the National Security Council whose responsibilities amongst others are the maintenance of law and order and the prevention and detection of crime to:

Issue a progress report into the investigations into the brutal murder of Deyda Hydara; Leave no stone unturned to trace the perpetrators of this heinous crime;
To, in future, react swiftly to threats against journalists linked to their work and develop specific strategies and mechanisms for the protection of journalists who have been the targets of serious threats;

Where these cannot be met, we regrettably call on the National Assembly, to acknowledge the persistent threats to the lives and freedoms of journalists and media practitioners, notably in exercising their rights to freedom of speech, expression and assembly, key elements to the work of media workers, and in demonstrating the commitments of the Legislature to serve in the public interest as outlined in Section 109 Sub Sections 1 and 2 of the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia, to set up an independent Committee of Inquiry to investigate the delays into the investigations of the murder of Deyda Hydara.

In light of renewed and improved press government relations and the fact that a free and vibrant press is the very foundation of a healthy democracy and a key indicator of good governance, we once again appeal to the Government of The Gambia to do everything within its power to ensure that justice and the truth prevails.

We also remind the Government of The Gambia that there can be no meaningful development without the popular participation of the general citizenry, who are most effectively mobilised through the channels of the media, which provides them the opportunity to express their views concerning the way in which they are governed. Hence, the media’s contribution to the development of The Gambia must be seen as paramount.

It is worthy to note that commitments to solving crimes particularly crimes against the media and media practitioners will go a long way to paving the way for an end to impunity and to the restoration of public confidence. Serious negations by the relevant authorities charged with the responsibility for the prevention and detection of crime are simply unacceptable.

Signed:

The Executive Board

Gambia Press Union