Journalist PK Jarju on Life Threaten Alert

An email emerging from one Kebba T Sanneh contains disturbing information threatening the life and personal protection of our colleague Pa Kemo Jarju better know as PK.

All Gambian media establishment is alarmed and concerned by the sender Kebba T Sanneh who claimed to be a soldier in the Gambian Army. We find the email threatening and disturbing in that Sanneh claimed to know everything about PK’s personal life, including his home address. Our sources have it that Sanneh is an active member of Jammeh’s execution squad responsible for the murders of veteran Journalist Deyda Hydara and most recently Chief Ebrima Manneh.

Since Sanneh claimed to know the whereabouts of PK and his family at home and abroad, we at All Gambian take such a claim seriously, knowing fully well the vicious track record of Jammeh’s henchmen against critics. We know that these are the ones responsible for setting fire to media houses as well as attempts on the lives of journalists. It is no secret that Yahya Jammeh’s regime lacks tolerance for independent media and has no desire to observe citizens’ fundamental right to freedom of speech.

Journalist PK Jarju like President Jammeh also belongs to the Jola ethnic group of Gambia. Nonetheless, PK is one of the sharpest critics of Yahya Jammeh’s dictatorial policies and administration. It turns out this does not go well with some Jolas in Jammeh’s camp whose objective is to have a unified Jola support around the administration even to the detriment of national unity and harmony. Jarju, on the other hand chooses not only to distance himself from Jammeh’s maladministration of the nation but expresses his disagreement for it in his writings on many occasions.

This statement is to convey our concern to all democratic governments and organizations having relations with government of Gambia. It is extended to international and domestic human rights institutions, Amnesty International, the Commonwealth Media Unit, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), International Journalists Federation (IFJ), Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Reporters without Borders (RSF), Gambia Press Union (GPU) and its subsidiaries, Gambian online establishments, President’s Office Gambia, British Police, Home Office (UK). We solicit the cooperation and support of all concerned in defense of full safety and security for our colleague Pa Kemo Jarju and his family both in Gambia and wherever they may be.