Halifa Tells Jammeh the Bitter Truth

Political parties must respond to the dictates of times and circumstances in order to be relevant. What the continent of Africa in general and The Gambia in particular need are a leadership that is an embodiment of magnanimity, sobriety, humility, courtesy, ingenuity, industriousness, resourcefulness and selflessness.

The PDOIS leadership has made a commitment, at its 24 April 2010 Congress, to pioneer a new era of inter-party relationship that would ensure the cultivation of an exemplary political leadership for the Gambia which must come from the opposition, if it cannot come from the ruling party.

Hence, when we gathered that you are going to go on tour for the first time, after the PDOIS Congress, we became most curious to know what type of message you will deliver to the Gambian people during your Nationwide tour. In our view, the content of the speeches we have heard so far falls far short of our expectations, despite the fact that we do recognise that ,you have the right to exercise your freedom of speech.

First and foremost, you are required by section 222 paragraph 15 of the Constitution to undertake a Nationwide tour in order to familiarise yourself with current conditions and the effects of government policies on the people. This is the primary objective of your tour.

Mr President, you may be aware that, as conscientious citizens of the country, we have been investing time and money to monitor the day to day problems of the people and have been conveying our findings to those who are managing the different sectors of your government. We thought that you would dwell on all these issues with a view to addressing them, to the satisfaction of the people.

We have conveyed numerous land disputes to those who manage the affairs of the state. We have reminded your government that the Constitution required a law to be enacted to ensure the establishment of a Land Commission to handle such disputes. We have made it very clear that since the law was enacted your Government has failed to constitute the members of the Land Commission to handle land disputes. In the face of such grave omissions precious buildings are still being demolished and years of hard work is being reduced to rubbles.

We expected you to address such a perennial problem once and for all after 16 years of leadership. Yes, we in PDOIS have studied our land tenure system and have resolved how to handle the problem in our current manifesto. We will share that with the Nation in due course and hope that the ideas will be instructive to your government which has the mandate to manage the affairs of the country. This is how to show exemplary leadership from the outside since we are not given the mandate to govern.

Mr President, we have also followed the trade season in all the nuke and crane of the country. We are aware of the views of the presidents and members of Cooperative Primary Marketing Societies in all the regions. We have monitored the explanation of the authorities and have facilitated access to information on the strengths and weaknesses of the trade season.

It has been made clear to your government that over a Million dalasis is still owed to some farmers. We have even given recommendation that your Government should seek a grant from the European Union to address the plight of the farmers and then constitute a committee to find out the source of the problem.

Mr President we have followed the life of the people in the rural areas. We have indicated the unfinished water projects such as the one that should have covered Kerewan, Suwareh Kunda, Kinteh Kunda and Saaba which required compound owners to deposit 2750 dalasis per compound for a meter which has not materialised for a period of 6 years.

We have referred to the inaccessibility of fertilizer because of the price of 650-to 700 dalasis per bag in the border area. Many farmers are still waiting for the local cost. We have referred to the inaccessible feeder roads which hinder the free movement of goods and people thus making goods from villages to be expensive because of high transportation cost. We have shown how such high transportation cost of perishable goods, the high duties paid at weekly markets, the inadequacy of water and toilet facilities and the low earning capacity of consumers are leading to the reduction of the economic advantages of rural markets and the contraction of rural economies.

We have exposed the shortage of labour saving devices to reduce the drudgery of women and the stagnation of rural productivity thus eroding or fettering the earning capacity of rural youths which encourages rural urban drift and their venturing into the sea in search of greener pasture.

Mr President, we have shown the persistence of electricity outages in major towns such as Farafenni, Soma, Bansang, Basse and so on. You have the mandate to rule and should have explained how to address all these problems. We do not have the mandate to govern. Exemplary leadership dictates that we should point out the shortcomings and include the solutions in our manifesto so that it could inform any other person who has good intentions for the country.

Mr President, you have decided to use the platform of your tour to refer to opposition leaders as ouyou or bandits. Let us make it abundantly clear that the PDOIS leadership has always been an asset to the Gambian society since the days of the Jawara administration.

This leadership inspired many in your generation, the one before it and the one after it. Hence where ever we turn to today we see people yearning for the knowledge, character and values we have always advocated for.

We therefore wish to take exception to your name calling. In fact if it was not for your manner of Government we would have retired from politics by now and spent the rest of our lives in knowledge production for posterity. We are still around because we wish to offer the Gambian people the exemplary leadership they deserve; leadership which exalts them as the sovereign rulers of the land.

Mr President, in reviewing your achievements you gave the impression that the bridge you have built at Janjangbureh could only be done by your government. We wish to defer with you.

In short, the bridge is said to cost 5 Million dollars or approximately 130 Million dalasis. We have highlighted that your Government has authorised the expenditure of over 400 Million dalasis from the funds accumulated by Social Security to purchase and refurbish Ocean Bay Hotel. That could have built three times the number of bridges you built at Janjangbureh.

May be others do not know what sovereign National Wealth is. We know what sovereign National Wealth is. We have followed your government since 1998 and have given clear evidence that you are not committed to building sovereign National wealth in a transparent and sustainable manner. Only a Government which has a clear strategy on how to build sovereign national wealth would be able to develop a pool of national wealth from which to draw finances required to implement projects like the one you inaugurated in Janjangbureh.

Mr President, in 1998 the gross turnover of public enterprises amounted 804 Million dalasis or 18 percent of GDP . In 1999 this increased to 940 Million dalasis or 20 percent of GDP. This was almost equivalent to the Government revenue of 979 Million dalasis in 1999. It goes without saying that the public enterprises could contribute 69 Million and 82 Million dalasis to Government Revenue in 1998 and 1999 respectively.

Mr President we are also told that mining of minerals started in 1999. We can assure you that if we were running the economy we would not have lost track of the sources of sovereign National wealth and would have allowed them to flourish in a sustainable and transparent manner so as to have a permanent pool of local resources to finance infrastructural development in the Gambia.

We would have created a development fund to which sovereign national wealth would be deposited from public enterprises, sales of minerals and royalties to finance infrastructural development on a sustainable basis.

We take exception to your comment that the opposition cannot bring a needle to the people. We maintain that we have a greater capacity to build sovereign National wealth in order to provide infrastructural development at a faster pace. We, the PDOIS leadership do not lack honesty, ingenuity and industriousness. What we lack is a mandate.

In fact our honest opinion is that, Gambia’s potential is being stifled under the APRC and we challenge your party to a debate on National radio and television if you disagree with this view. Allow us to point out these basic truths to confirm our assertions.

It is common knowledge that over 40,000 Million dalasis or 1.6 Billion dollars is traded in foreign currency in our currency market on an annual basis. We are exporting only 300 Million dalasis worth of goods while we import 1.4 billion dalasis worth of food products. Where is the food self sufficiency? We would have introduced basic import substitution strategies to put 1400 million dalasis in the pockets of Gambian producers annually.

Mr President you indicated that the Janjangbureh bridge should have been completed since last year but because ghosts, devils or spirits were offended the work proceeded at a slower pace. You have also said that unless certain curses are removed Janjangbureh will never develop. You have also identified certain areas as no go areas if spirits are not to be offended.

Mr President, Janjangbureh did not develop over the years because of the poverty of the people in the rural areas and the complete stagnation of river transport. We would be able to facilitate development in Janjangbureh by reviving river transport and transforming Janjangbureh to both a hub for trade and an enclave for rice and horticultural production especially the production of Banana and cashew for shipment to Europe.

We would transform it into a hub by ensuring the building of storage facilities for goods coming from CRR south to be transported by river transport to other destinations. Fuel and other imported goods could also be transported by river transport and deposited at Janjangbureh to be further distributed by land to the outlaying areas in CRR South and the URR.

Mr President our knowledge teaches us that the history of human civilisation has been a struggle against the hostile forces of existence. Some human beings became so lost that they used to offer their children as human sacrifice only to preserve transient lives. They killed in the name of appeasing the hostile forces of existence only to die later as mortal human beings which exposed the myths of their invincibility.

Enlightened human beings however saw the need to conquer evil forces instead of appeasing them and thus made themselves the builders of civilisation. They came to realise that human beings are more powerful than all the hostile forces of existence if they seek knowledge; if they are united, if they care and respect each other; if they are committed to ensuring their mutual survival. Organisation and awareness have been the source of the power utilised by human beings to conquer ignorance and evil. Mr President if we had the mandate the no go areas of Janjangbureh would be the citadel of its development and no other force on this earth would be able to stop that.

If France and the UK could allow the building of a tunnel which goes 75 metres deep into the water way or channel that lies between the two countries which allows speed trains to move across the channel through the tunnel, then Gambians have no right to be mesmerized by the building of a bridge across any of our water ways.

Mr President, you also told the people that neither coup d’etat nor elections could remove you from office until you decide to hand over your mantle to your chosen representative. You have said that elections are means to find out who wants development by voting for you or who does not want development by voting for the opposition. You did make it clear that you will bring development to the door steps of those who vote for you and deprive those who do not vote for you.

Mr President your remarks are alien to the Constitution which states under section 1 subsection (2) that, “The sovereignty of the Gambia resides in the people of the Gambia from whom all organs of government derive their authority and in whose name and for whose welfare and prosperity the powers of government are to be exercised.” Mr President unlike you we are telling the Gambian people that in 2011 they should elect a government that will last only for five years and the incumbent should preside over free and fair elections and leave office like Nelson Mandela.

Let us remind you that Modern South Africa is also 16 years old. Apartheid was put to an end in 1994 when Nelson took over. Now South Africa is proud to display three Presidents whose assumption of office is peaceful and has not led to any erosion of national integrity or the development potential of the country. We would not take pride in claiming that we have ruled Gambia for 30 years. What we will take pride in is to claim that we were part of these growing number of leaders who have contributed their quota to the building of a developed, democratic, free and prosperous Gambia.

Mr President as we move towards an election year your government does not give assurance of a free and fair election to ECOWAS, The AU, The International Community by making remarks that you could not be removed through democratic means. This is time to send the right signals. We would have thought by now that you would exercise your prerogative of mercy to release Femi Peters who aimed to exercise basic democratic rights, refrain from demonizing the opposition, show tolerance to divergent views in the state media and submit to the will of the people. You should not equate coups d’etat with electoral processes and trivialize both. It is democracy that makes coups d’etat unthinkable. Under a democracy a coup d’etat is an assault on the sovereignty of the people since they have the full mandate to retain or change Governments. Gambians would want to be assured that they would have free and fair elections in 2011.

Mr President 2011 is just round the corner. It is an election year. A code of conduct exists for political parties. There is no need for insults or intolerance. Tell the people the truth as you see it. We will also tell them the truth as we see it. Leave them to elect their representatives without intimidation or inducement. This is the dictate of democracy, peace and justice. This is the dictate that an exemplary political leadership should heed.

To conclude allow me to defer with the Head of the Civil Service. Politics is not a wrestling match. It is a competition for the hearts and minds of the people. It requires people who truly love and respect their people to emerge to seek their mandate in a climate characterised by mutual respect and tolerance of diversity.

While anticipating that all Gambian political figures will display exemplary leadership as we prepare for 2011

We remain

Yours in the service of the nation

Halifa Sallah

For the PDOIS Central Committee

In Guinea, media hopeful with democratic transition

By Mariama Keita and Mohamed Keita/CPJ Africa Program

Transitional leader Sekouba Konaté casts his vote in June's historic elections in Guinea. (Reuters)Guinea’s historic presidential elections and new constitution are changing the media landscape in the West African country. Since last month, the military-led Transitional National Council has passed two new laws decriminalizing defamation and created a new media regulatory body.

This country’s progression toward embracing democracy makes it hard to believe that the “Guinean Massacre” occurred less than a year ago. On September 28, 2009, military soldiers violently dispersed a banned opposition rally at a stadium in the capital Conakry, killing dozens of people and assaulting at least a dozen journalists covering the gathering. Nasser Diallo, a reporter with Conakry private station Radio Nostalgie, managed to escape death on that tragic day and has continued broadcasting from exile. “This new law is a huge relief for me,” said Diallo, who broadcasts a radio show on Blogtalkradio from a mini studio in his Brooklyn home. “Its entry into force will give us a hope of having an independent press.”

The new press laws replaces a 1991 press code that infamously allowed, among other things, dead people to be plaintiffs in defamation lawsuits against journalists accused of causing outrage to their memory.

In lieu of prison sentences, journalists now face fines, ranging from 500,000 to 20 million Guinean francs (US$100 to US$4,000). “The paradox is that the fines are so high that journalists think they prefer prison,” said Boubacar Algassimou Diallo, political editor of the private weekly Le Lynx, the largest circulation newspaper in the country. He explained that printing costs could account for as much as 67 percent of the budget of producing a newspaper, let alone pay a fine.

“When you say 5 million Guinean francs (US$975), a journalist prefers to go to prison for three days. He knows that once in prison, with the pressure of Media Foundation of West Africa, CPJ, and Reporters Without Borders, he will be released,” he added.

In a special report released this week—“Guinea: Journalists are the Forgotten Victims of Violence”—London-based anticensorship organization Article 19 expressed concern that the new law upholds “a number of restrictions incompatible with international standards and good practice” such as “offenses of libel against the Head of State, slander and false report.”

Notwithstanding, for the first time, the press law includes provisions recognizing the country’s growing electronic media: More than 20 news websites (often based abroad) have correspondents in Guinea. “Online media is filling the gap of information resulting from the absence of private dailies. They are inevitable,” according to Diallo of Le Lynx. Under the new law, online journalists will be entitled to press cards so long as they can show a master’s diploma in journalism or two years of professional experience, explained Amadou Tham Camara, who heads the Guinean Association of Online Press (AGUIPEL).

The new law requires all news sites to register with the new media regulatory agency and identify their local correspondents, who will act as their legal representatives, he told CPJ. The agency will have the power to order the suspension or ban of websites after repeated offenses.

Abdoulaye Diallo, New York bureau chief of Guinéenews, a leading independent news site based in Canada, participated in the drafting of the new legislation, welcomed the law creating a new media regulatory agency known as HAC. “It essentially provides guarantees for the body to become more independent from state/government control by providing more representation and control over media and press to private news organizations and corporations,” he wrote in an e-mail.

The online platforms have opened the doors for Guineans all over the world to participate in the electoral process and influence the debates at home. On Election Day in New York for instance, the nonprofit organization Alliance Guinea enlisted volunteers at Columbia University to sift through thousands of text and e-mail messages reporting voting incidents in Guinea. The reports were collected through crisis reporting platform Ushahidi. Alliance Guinea co-founder Jennifer Swift-Morgan, told CPJ via e-mail that their efforts included regular TV and radio spots “encouraging everyday people to be active in monitoring the elections themselves and texting in what they see” before, during, and after the polls.

In Conakry, Diallo of Le Lynx pointed out that the Ushahidi citizen reporting initiative faced the challenge of verifying the credibility of the reports it received. Swift-Morgan said they collected several hundred useful messages that were mapped and shared with the electoral commission CENI as well as national and international media tracking the elections.

As the international community praises Guinea for having a successful democratic election, the country awaits a scheduled runoff on July 18. The Supreme Court has to make a decision regarding recent allegations of politicians manipulating the counting of votes to confirm the accuracy of the numbers of the two leading candidates. Earlier this month, AGUIPEL suspended the membership of Guinee24 news website on the grounds that it violated electoral regulations by publishing undocumented polls favoring candidate Alpha Condé, Camara told CPJ.

Mariama Keita is an intern in CPJ’s Africa program. Mohamed Keita is CPJ’s Africa advocacy coordinator.

President Jammeh, Where is Chief Manneh?

My dear brother, Sheikh, Professor, Doctor Yahya Abdul Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh, president of the Second Republic of the Gambia, greetings in the name of the most Beneficent, Merciful and Gracious Lord, our Cherisher and Sustainer, Who has created man out of a clot and has taught [man] the use of the pen.

by PK Jarju

Mr Jammeh, July 7 marked the fourth anniversary of the disappearance of my friend and former colleague, Chief Ebrima Manneh. And as we mark his continuous disappearance, your government cannot still give us a satisfactorily explanation about his whereabouts. For years now, we have asked you only one simple question: “Where is Chief Manneh?” but it is taking you eternity to give us an answer.

Mr Jammeh, Chief Manneh and I both worked for the Daily Observer. He was friendly and hardworking man with a great sense of humor, which captivated everyone who had the privilege of meeting him.

Chief Manneh was a perfect gentleman, who could not even hurt a fly let alone someone. He was the breadwinner in his family. He was kind, honest, respectful and peaceful loving gentleman, who was planning to marry and start a family. It is therefore very hard to understand what evil crime he must have committed to warrant his arrest and disappearance from the surface of the earth.

Mr Jammeh, on July 7, 2006, Chief Manneh was in the newsroom of the Daily Observer, working on the next issue of the paper, when two NIA officers visited the newspaper and asked him to go with them to the Bakau Police Station for questioning.

According to Mr Manneh’s colleagues who were with him at the time, he left the newspaper premises with the two NIA officers one of whom is identified as Corporal Sey. Since then, nothing has been heard from him.

Although no explanation was given by the two NIA officers for his arrest, it is believed that it was in connection with a BBC story he culled from the internet about the AU summit you proudly hosted in Banjul http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/5127830.stm.

The story which was never republished in the Observer is not critical of you or your government but it was said to have upset Saja Taal, managing director of the Daily Observer at the time, who promised to teach Chief Manneh a lesson.

Mr Taal himself has been quoted many times of admitting to have reported Chief Manneh to Momodou Sanyang, board chairman of the Daily Observer when he saw the BBC story Chief Manneh wanted to republish in the Observer.

Reports added that, you went completely bananas when the matter was later reported to you by Momodou Sanyang, who is one of your trusted advisers. It is said that you personally ordered the NIA, which directly reports to you, to arrest and discipline Chief Manneh.

Mr Jammeh, for two years, your government refused to investigate or comment on the arrest and disappearance of Mr Manneh despite his numerous sightings at various police stations and detention centres across the country.

It was said that within the first four weeks of his arrest by the two NIA officers, Chief Manneh was moved from the Bakau Police Station to the NIA headquarters in Banjul, to Mile Two Central Prison, and then back to the NIA. By September 2006, he was said to have been transferred to Sibanor only to be transferred to Fatoto Police Station.

In mid-December 2006, Yaya Dampha, a reporter with Foroyaa Newspaper, saw Chief Manneh briefly in Fatoto Prison. After Foroyaa reported the sighting, Chief Manneh was said to have been moved yet again, back to Mile Two, then to Sare Ngai Police Station.
Chief Manneh was also sighted in July 2007 Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital, where he was being treated for suspected high blood pressure.

In 2008, a former NIA detainee told local journalists that he saw Chief Manneh at the NIA centre near the Jammeh Foundation for Peace Hospital in Bundungka Kunda.
Mr Jammeh, as a parent, you will understand the frustrations and hardships that Chief Manneh’s parents and family are going through. They last saw their son on July 7, 2006 without saying goodbye to him.

Last year, Chief Manneh’s father, Sarjo Camara told local reporters that during his search for Mr Manneh, he had visited the Daily Observer newspaper, but was told by Saja Taal to go to the NIA headquarters as the Observer was not the right place to search for his son.

Mr Manneh, who is in his 80s, further added he had met with the then-Director General of the NIA, Harry Sambou and Ousman Sonko, secretary of state for the interior, but was told that your government was not holding his son. Mr Manneh has since lost hope that his son will ever return home alive.

After several failed efforts by the Gambia Press Union, the media establishments and family members to trace Chief Manneh’s whereabouts, the Media Foundation for West Africa eventually took up the matter for his release before the Ecowas Court.

Following a year-long protracted court case in which your government was served many notices and five security officials subpoenaed to appear before the courts, Chief Manneh continued to languish in detention without any attempt by your government to conduct any investigation or appear before the Ecowas Court to clear any doubts.

In an apparent rage, you were quoted saying in the Freedom Newspaper that the Ecowas Court should go to hell.

The Ecowas had to rely on uncontroverted testimonies given by witnesses, in its landmark judgment in which it maintained that Chief Ebrima Manneh was indeed arrested by NIA officers and must be unconditionally released. The court also awarded him compensation amounting to US$100,000.

Mr Jammeh, your government remained mute over the matter until March 2009, almost two years after his disappearance and a ten-month silence following the Ecowas Court verdict to make public mention of your stance on the issue of Chief Ebrima Manneh’s disappearance.

Your former disgraced Justice Minister, Marie Saine Firdaus, declared that your government did not have Chief Manneh in your custody and that “the State can only release a person from custody, if he or she is in fact in the custody of the State.”
However, a month later, a senior police source told AFP that Chief Manneh has been killed. The officer whose identity was not disclosed said he last saw Chief Manneh at the Mile Two Prison sometime in 2008 when he was taken away by a plain clothed officer in the middle of the night.

"That was the last day I set my eyes on him and to the best of my knowledge, Chief Manneh is not alive," he told AFP.

Mr Jammeh the continuous disappearance of Chief Manneh is a cause for concern and your government’s remarks that he was never arrested and detained cannot be taken seriously. This is because so many people were present at the time of his arrest. So many Gambians have also seen him at the various places he was detained.

Looking at your government’s human rights record and your threats to bury your critics six feet deep, I have no doubt that you personally had a hand in his arrest and disappearance and it is time you tell the Gambian people what have happened to him.

You have always claimed to be a devoted servant of Allah and have sworn on His holy scripture, the Qur’an to protect the rights and freedoms of the Gambian people. So fulfill your oath to Allah.

Mr Jammeh, we are not at war with you in our clamor for Chief Manneh’s release. Chief Manneh was never a threat to your regime. Releasing Chief Manneh now will not in any way weaken your government.

Your refusal to acknowledge the truth will continue to give you a dark stain as a dictator, callous murderer and an enemy of free Gambia.

Mr Jammeh, please bury your pride and tell Chief Manneh’s family where their son is. Chief Manneh’s father is crying himself to sleep every day. Have pity on him in the name of the Lord you serve. Pity him.

Have a good day my dear brother from another mother.
Peace.
For comments, write to papak196@yahoo.co.uk

Gambia's Guantanamo Bay

The year 2010 has now gone half way, yet some Gambian families continue to live in distress due to the long detention and disappearance of their loved ones and family heads. Most of these victims of disappearance and detention have not been seen or heard about by their families.

According to the affected families, these loved ones who have disappeared were taken away by unknown men in plain clothes some years ago. The following are the people who are not seen or heard by their families:

Mr. Jasarja Kujabi, a native of Dobong village in the Foni Kansala District went missing since the summer of 2005. The family said he was taken away while working at his farm with some of his family members.

Corporal Alfusainey Jammeh, a Prison Officer and a native of Kanilai village, went missing since the summer of 2005. His family said he was posted at the compound of the Director of Prisons at Kanilai and from where he was called to answer at the Police Headquarters in Banjul after which he never returned home to this day.
Mr. Haruna Jammeh and Madam Marcie Jammeh, both natives of Kanilai village, went missing at the same time in the summer of 2005 from their village. Their families cannot trace them up to now.

The former District Chief of Foni Kansala, Alagie Momodou Lamin Nyassi, Alagie Buba Sanyang (alias Bubai Sanyang) and Ndongo Mboob, all natives of Foni Bwiam, went missing since 2006. Their families said since the three men were picked up by three men in plain clothes on board a pickup vehicle on the evening of 4 April 2006 they have not seen or heard from.

Journalist Ebrima Manneh (alias Chief Manneh) went missing since 7th July 2006, after reporting to work and never returned home. His colleagues at work said he was picked up by men in plain clothes at their office in Bakau. Family and friends said they have searched for him throughout the entire country and have also visited all the known places of detention e.g. police stations, NIA and prisons but without any trace of him. The Gambia government has always denied having him in their custody.

The Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA) took the matter to the Regional ECOWAS Court in Abuja for The Gambia government to release him. The court made an order for The Gambian authorities to release and compensate him an amount of US 100,000.
Mr. Kanyiba Kanyi, an employee of the Christian Children Fund (CCF), and said to be an opposition supporter, went missing since 18th September 2006. His family said he was arrested by men in plain clothes at his house in Bonto village in Kombo East. His younger brother was also arrested on the same evening but later released after spending a night in detention at the Serious Crime Unit at Police Headquarters in Banjul.

The family said Mr. Kanyi was taken away on board a taxi with three men while they looked on. His family took Lawyer Ousainou Darboe who filed a "Habeas Corpus" at the High Court for the state produced him. The matter was heard by several judges, most of whom ordered for Kanyiba be released by the state but to no avail. Last year, the third judge sent the case file back to the office of the Chief Justice. Since then things are stagnant.

The following people have been in detention for years and months without any trial known to their families.

Mr. Alieu Lowe and Abdoulie Njie, both residents of Fagi Kunda, who were arrested shortly after the 21 March 2006 coup plot. Their families said they are currently being detained at Mile 2 Central Prison. The families said they have access to them.

Mr. Ebou Jarju, a native of Kombo Dasilameh and a former Steward at State House, was arrested in the presence of his family on 20th March 2008. He was then released on 11 January 2009, only to be re-arrested a week later and put under detention. His family said he is currently being detained at Mile 2 Prison. They said they do not have access to him in prison.

Mr Nema Ceesay and Jankeydinding Samateh, a cousin and sister to Mr Sillaba Samateh, respectively, were arrested about three weeks ago after Sillaba, a witness in the criminal trial of the former Inspector General of Police Ensa Badjie, was said to have absconded. The family said the two are currently being held at the NIA Headquarters in Banjul.

Culled from Foroyaa Newspaper, The Gambia.

FOUR YEARS ON, CHIEF MANNEH WHEREABOUTS STILL UNKNOWN

Today, July 7, 2010 marks four years since the disappearance Journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh. At the time of his disappearance, Chief Ebrima Manneh was a senior reporter with the Daily Observer newspaper.

In June 2008, the ECOWAS Community Court ordered the Gambia Government to immediately release and compensate him with US$100,000. The Gambia Government remained mute over the matter until March 2009, almost two years after his disappearance and a ten-month silence following the ECOWAS Court verdict to make public mention of their stance on the issue of Chief Ebrima Manneh’s disappearance.

The then Justice Minister Marie Saine Firdaus declared that the State did not have Chief Manneh in their custody and that “the State can only release a person from custody, if he or she is in fact in the custody of the State”.

Nonetheless, today, we again take the opportunity of the 4th anniversary of Chief Manneh’s disappearance to remind the Gambia Government and its relevant security apparatus that it is the responsibility of the State to ensure the protection of life and property, thus the disappearance of any Gambian should be an issue of paramount concern. We therefore urge the relevant authorities to do everything within their power to ensure that investigations into the disappearance of Chief Ebrima Manneh commence forthwith.

The Union also calls on its membership at home and in the Diaspora to help sustain the campaign on the disappearance of Chief Ebrima Manneh.

So far, all efforts by the Union, the Media Foundation for West Africa who took the case to the ECOWAS Community Court, friends of the Gambian media and the Manneh family has borne little or no fruition.

We once again call on the global media community, human rights groups and concerned individuals and institutions to join us in our quest for justice for Chief Manneh. JUSTICE IS LONG OVERDUE.

Gambian Market Updates

Dalasi continues to Appreciate

The local currency continues to appreciate in the currency markets. In the interbank market, the Dalasi was up by 125bututs against the Dollar, 75bututs against the Pound and was unchanged at D36.00 against the Euro. In the parallel market the Dalasi gained 370bututs against the Dollar.

This was the first reversal in the downward trend in the value of the local currency against the Dollar since the end of May 2010. Also in the parallel market, the Dalasi gained 262bututs against the Pound and 150bututs against the Euro.

Dalasi Interbank Mid Exchange Rates

Dollar 26.50
Pound 41.50
Euro 36.00
CFA 280.00

Parallel Mid Exchange Rates

Dollar 27.63
Pound 42.88
Euro 36.50
CFA 279.00

Yield on 91-day bill up

For the second week running, the yield on the 91-day bill moved northwards. It was up by 13bps to close the week at 9.58%. Its counterpart the 91-day (s/s) bill was however down by 2bps to 10.03%. The 182- day shaved off 1bps to 10.49%. The 182-day bill was massively over-subscribed by 112%. The 1-year note closed the week at 13.03%, up 19bps. The total amount on offer at next week’s auction is approximately a third less than what was offered this week.