GPU demands Chief Manneh's release

by PK Jarju

The Gambia Press Union has called on the government of President Yahya Jammeh to respect the verdict of the Ecowas court and release Chief Ebrima Manneh, Crime reporter of the Daily Observer, who has been languishing in detention since his arrest on July 7, 2006, by two NIA officers.

In a strongly worded letter to the Jammeh regime, the press union said the immediate release of Mr Manneh, 30, and the payment of compensation to him as contained in the verdict of the Ecowas court, will pave the way for an end to impunity and the restoration of public confidence especially of the private media.

The press union noted that "democracy cannot prevail and development remains unattainable without the participation of an independent, free and pluralistic press. The media has a crucial role to play in the good governance of democratic societies, by ensuring transparency and accountability, promoting participation and the rule of law, and contributing to the fight against poverty."

It added that the media, as a partner in development can bring about behaviour change and social mobilisation for effective and sustainable development through the dissemination of information that is crucial for the life and development of communities.

Below we reproduce the full text of the statement.

Today, June 7th, 2008 marks two years since the "disappearance" of Chief Ebrima Manneh, a journalist at the Daily Observer Newspaper.

Despite several efforts by the Gambia Press Union, the media establishments and family members to trace his whereabouts the end of his disappearance is still not in sight. 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 the Government of The Gambia 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 the state to conduct any investigation or appear before the Ecowas Court to clear any doubts.

Relying on uncontroverted testimonies given by witnesses, the Ecowas Court maintains that in July 2006, Chief Ebrima Manneh was picked up by plain clothes security officials at his place of work, the Daily Observer.

The Ecowas Court has ordered for his immediate release and has awarded him compensation amounting to US$100,000

Today, as everyday, the Gambia Press Union wishes to call the attention of the government in particular and the public at large, to the decisions of the court. We take this opportunity to call on the State to heed to the order of the ECOWAS Court for the immediate release of Chief Ebrima Manneh and to further compensate him with US$100,000. Such actions will pave the way for an end to impunity and the restoration of public confidence especially of the private media.

We wish to point out that democracy cannot prevail and development remains unattainable without the participation of an independent, free and pluralistic press. The media has a crucial role to play in the good governance of democratic societies, by ensuring transparency and accountability, promoting participation and the rule of law, and contributing to the fight against poverty.

The media, as a partner in development can bring about behaviour change and social mobilisation for effective and sustainable development through the dissemination of information that is crucial for the life and development of communities.