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Reflections on International Human Rights Day

Today is International Human Rights Day, an annual event established to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the U.N. General Assembly in 1948. For many human rights advocates across the world, this day presents an opportunity, albeit brief, to reflect on the year that was, as well as our role and our place in it.

It is an irony of course that in this occupation our daily toil can bind us together and, at times, separate us when the next crisis or series of human rights violations emerge. I often struggle with this challenge, torn between maintaining campaigns on still important, ongoing issues while also helping to provide due attention to outbursts of political violence, for example, or deadly crackdowns on peaceful protests.

In light of this dilemma I have found it important to remind myself – and others – that speaking out against and highlighting injustices, regardless of where or when they may occur, form part of a broader effort to confront one of humanity’s enduring certainties: that those with power, and the means with which to inflict pain and suffering on their fellow human beings, do so because they calculate that the outside world will not notice or otherwise care to take action.

Defying this corrosive logic has been, and will continue to be, what drives my work, especially as it pertains to countries that do not often register on the international radar— the likes of Angola, Gambia, Eritrea, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe are a few examples. And I know I am not alone.  The belief that we can make a profoundly positive difference in the lives of ordinary people simply by highlighting what is going on there, consistently and steadfastly, is rooted not only in private conviction, but also in facts.

Take the case of Thulani Maseko and Bheki Makhubu in Swaziland, for example, two prisoners of conscience who were put on trial and jailed for exposing rampant injustice in their country— many will agree that these two men would remain behind bars today if it were not for an international campaign that focused attention on their ordeal. The same could also be said for Rafael Marques, a fearlessly resolute journalist and anti-corruption crusader in Angola. While these brave men will undoubtedly continue to face harassment and persecution due to their legitimate (and desperately needed) work, the fact that they will spend today with their families – and not behind bars – is testament to the influence of public advocacy, as well as the power of naming and shaming repressive regimes and the perpetrators that are given license to abuse human rights, often with brazen impunity.

In this line of work we are all too familiar with tragedy and hardship. At the same time, however, we have the privilege of standing alongside the best people on Earth— the humble and altogether inspiring individuals like Thulani, Bheki and Rafael, who continue to strive, often at great personal peril, for principles bigger than all of us. If these at-risk individuals manage to uphold the strength and courage to press on, in spite of the myriad odds and threats routinely stacked against them, then we have no excuse to not follow their lead.

I look forward to seeing all of you out there, on this Human Rights Day, the dates in between, and all of those that will come hereafter. As my Swazi friends would say: Amandla!

Momodou Sowe Narrates His 26 Months Detention In Gambia’s Notorious Prison Of Mile II On Allegation That He Was Freedom Newspaper Informant

Dear Editor,

With a heavy heart, I would like to share this recollection of mine on your prestigious platform. It’s December again. I thank Allah that it is 2015 and I am privileged to recount the December of 2012.

It was Monday 3rd December 2012. I had an appointment to keep. I was to report, for the third time, at the headquarters of the National Intelligence Agency, Banjul. I had spent the weekend with my family, playing indoor games with my wife and daughter just to assure them that everything was going normal.

Deep inside me though, I felt a disturbing fear that prevented me from sleeping soundly, neither eating nor reciprocating my little daughter’s giggles. She would mumble-jumble something between Mandarin and Russian and finish the incomprehensible phrases with sweet giggles in expectation of the usual fatherly hug that tells a child that its father was the best in the whole world.

It was always like that prior to this Sunday preceding my faithful Monday. On this Sunday, my daughter did what she never did. Whenever she had issues with her mother, I was the best sanctuary and protector for her. She would report that her mother had smacked her, denied her the TV remote set, gave her serious sponging at the bathroom, refused her to wear the boots I bought her from Addis Ababa which rewarded her with beeps and multi-colour blips etc. That was normally the first thing for me to settle upon arrival from work. Together, we will set the penalties for her mother, ranging from denying her the fruits I always came home with, to promises of revenging on her behalf.

This kid could be accused of loving me more than she does her mother. She was my best friend in the house.  My wife, on her part, would excitedly help translate our daughter’s daily complains and accusations although most of them were levelled against her. 
On Sunday 2nd December 2012, I jumped from a shallow slumber after getting back to sleep after Fajr. My daughter had woken up a few minutes before but not hearing the usual reveille from my Galaxy tablet which she used to locate from its rings and screen light and on which wallpaper was her innocent face, she had busied herself with her doll.

My snores might have fascinated her because, according to her mother who was watching her quietly from above the blanket, the kid first listened to the heaves from my smoke-ridden chest, put away the Arab doll and went straight for my nostrils. She thrusted her soft little index into one of my nostrils. I can’t remember what I thought it was but all I could recall was sitting upright at the centre of the bed, gnawing hard at my nose.  Seeing that I was stupefied, my wife mocked at me from under the blanket. She was bursting of laughter. “Don’t you know that your dad is a coward? You frighten him again and he may hit you before knowing! ”

I turned to face my wife and met my daughter’s intrigued eyes, triumphant but bewildered at my sudden jump. I never knew what actually transpired until it was all explained to me by my wife later that afternoon, but only one thing was certain: there was no longer any chance of getting back to sleep that morning again. Neneh was up and so must everyone else.

I staggered to the ante-room where I boiled water for the morning bath. Usually, my daughter would be musing with my Galaxy tablet while I am at the bathroom but today, upon entering the dressing room, she was standing patiently at the mirror waiting for me. “Neneh, may I boil water for you too to take a bath? I will not use the sponge”, I persuaded.

She didn’t seem to hear me for she didn’t even look my way. “Or do you want us to go and buy chips and wonjo from the shop?” I ventured again. This time, to my horror, she turned to me with a grimace. With that wail of a terrified child, she cried till I thought she must have been stung by an insect or something for I inspected her all round to see any sign of pain but saw nothing on her body. Her mother came in a rush and enquired. Nothing.

The next minute, our neighbour knocked and greeted at the door. “Ami, what is going on here, hope it is not boiling water or the still hot gas stove?” She too had recognized the terror in the kid’s shrill wails. No one, except God, knew what caused this kid to cry so uncontrollably that early Sunday morning. What was wrong? How come I was unable to calm her, not even by my usual tricks: kneeling before her and telling her that she was now taller than me, or clapping my palms noisily together to say I have beaten her adversary, or giving her an all-five gesture and saying ‘take five’ which she normally cherished by surrendering her hands into mine?

None of these hitherto successful tricks worked out that Sunday morning. After watching us speechless and almost motionless, her mother took her from my arms and offered her a motherly hug that, I must admit, transformed my helplessness into tenderness. I could feel their hearts beating in unison and I wondered what a monster a man would have been without that love from a mother.

The cries subsided and presently she swallowed a bile and was soon heard trying to say something amid her sobs. We thought she wanted milk which she was habitual of taking at that time of morning. We agreed she should get her usual. My wife turned to leave the room and as she faced me from the top of her mother’s retreating figure, the little girl mumbled something I never understood till it was too late.

This kid of just nineteen months had sensed what not me, neither her mother nor our parents had sensed. Or so I thought.  Was she already in the picture and just didn’t have the words to say it? Or were we insensitive of her moods? She actually sent us signals because my wife confessed that at one occasion, late in the night, she woke up and found her sitting quietly and staring fixedly at my sleeping figure.

On another occasion, she scrambled some Fula sentence which even my wife, who used to be my expert translator couldn’t make out. That was when I kissed them goodbye on my departure to Dakar where I was to catch my flight to Addis Ababa in advance for an AU Summit. Both me and her mother misinterpreted her. We thought she wanted me to buy her something hence the Arab doll and noisy Disney boots that I brought back with me.

I later knew what all these signals were. But it was rather too late. My daughter had sensed that some inevitable danger was looming. She was going to miss her dad. She would have no one to expect in the evenings to listen to her usual reports. No one to play with on the floor of the living room, who would give her access to the T.V., DVD remotes and moreover, a mobile phone to watch her own pictures and identify others she knows but couldn’t name.

There may not be the usual fruits she liked sharing with Musu, her friend. Who would offer her his finger for her to hold and run with to the shop and ask her to point at anything, anything at all, and would buy it for her? Who will call at least once in the afternoon and say “Neneh, what did your mother cook today? Or tell me who shouted at you today?” Who would now promise her to take the nurses to police if they inject her or insist that her mother gives her those not-nice syrups a number of times a day?

To what I later fathomed of her strange behavior, she might have had these questions but did not know how or what to do or say. Weakened by these big worries too heavy for an infant, she had resorted to the only available option to her….crying her heart out. I should have known this earlier, I wouldn’t have been able to avert predestined but I would have died trying. At least I would have attempted to flee before going to bed that Sunday night.

We had spent the day under the mango tree brewing attaya, smoking cigarettes and playing crazy eight with almost all the girls at home that Sunday. I had not left the compound the whole day, not even for the mosque or the shop till eleven in the evening when I had lulled my daughter to sleep and could take a walk before retiring to bed.

It took me almost half an hour before I decided it was best not to go far in that cool night. I wish I had. I wish I had just kept on going till I find myself in another country on that night. 
Little did I know that to be out in the open night sky decorated with brightly sparkling stars and a gracious moonlight was something I will miss! And for a long time. I remembered I had an appointment to keep so I retreated and headed home.

I went to bed but could hardly sleep. I tossed around from one side to the other almost all night, caressing my daughter’s hair whenever I faced her. My wife too was awake because she used her left foot to search for mine under the blanket. When she found it, she groaned emotionally. “Why are you awake still?” She whispered. I expected the question but did not brace up well for it for it took me unawares. Not certain what to say, I returned her the question.

Whether she was reading my mind or me reading hers I can’t tell but she answered exactly as I thought was my best bet. “You see”, she began, “for some reason I don’t understand, I am very worried. Be honest, I know you have always been but this has nothing to do with what you regard as confidential. Are you sure you are not in any danger? I have lately been feeling awfully afraid and having sleepless nights since you came back from NIA. I don’t actually know what I am feeling. It is between paranoia and frightening feeling. Sometimes I get the feeling that something terrible has either happened or about to. Is there anything you don’t want to tell me?” She was right. I couldn’t just tell her so. The situation will only worsen if I confessed what I too was feeling.

So I went on the defensive. I was feeling the same awful thing in me but could not decipher what it was. I shifted my left hand which, from the time my wife’s foot found mine, I noticed, had stopped caressing my daughter’s hair and was laying heavily on her forehead. I searched and found my wife’s arm. I held it tightly and cleared my coarse throat. “You know I would never hide anything from you, right? You know I would confide in you where my life is kept if I can. I am not aware of any danger at all”, I lied. “I think you are just into those hysterics again. Don’t you think we plan you a visit to the village?”

I wanted to change the subject but she brought me straight back. “No. This has nothing to do with nausea. Yes, you have been smart and attentive enough this time to know I am expecting. It is not about that. It is about your job and your report to NIA tomorrow. If things are OK as you put it, then why going to that place again?” She was right again. “I think you are just imagining things but to be honest with you, I have done nothing to warrant me to worry. I am very innocent of what they say I did. The NIA have even confirmed that to me. They know the wrong person was arrested. If it was thought that I was The Soldier and I am arrested and yet The Soldier is still writing, I cannot imagine a better vindication. What else should I fear? I am innocent my dear, you know I cannot be a criminal even if I want to”.

I waited for that to sink in. None of us spoke again till dawn when she woke me up and said the bathroom was all mine. My daughter was still asleep when I was leaving for Banjul but when she woke up, she cried till she went back to sleep.

I got to Banjul at around 08:30 am. The NIA front gate was full of terror as usual. I booked in for Invest Unit and the usual protocol was carried out. Phones, wallets, bags etc were registered and left behind. “OC good morning”, I greeted Mr. Sukuta Jammeh, head of the Investigations unit. “Good morning Mr. Sowe, how is the family? I hope you rested well with the family”.

Minutes later I was escorted to the Office of the Director of Operations, Mr. Louis Gomez who beckoned me to a seat opposite his expansive desk. “Just give these boys a few minutes” he politely said after dismissing my escort. I waited with much confusion. Which boys and for what? I hoped to get some clue from his solid face but he avoided mine throughout my brief encounter with him. I was deep in thought about what next.

A sharp knock at the door brought me back into the present. Two gentleman-looking guys walked in and announced that they were ready. My heart wanted to jump out but I managed to swallow it back. “Mr. Sowe, you may go with these boys”, Mr. Gomez said from behind the desktop monitor which prevented me from seeing his face. “OK then thanks and have a good day”, I managed to compose.

We descended down the narrow and steep staircase leading to the facade of the complex. There was a Mitsubishi Pajero revving idly just outside the foot of the stairs. “Did you leave anything at the main gate, Mr. Sowe?” “Umm yes, my phones and wallet”, I answered as we headed for the security room where my phones and wallet were handed back to me. “This way please”, Mr. Suso ushered me towards the waiting darkly tainted Pajero. I complied and soon we were out of the GPMB gates signalling a right turn.

I wondered what importance I had amassed overnight to be driven in the Director’s official car and most horrifyingly, where. We passed the cemeteries at a steady speed and all of a sudden, Mr. Suso, who was seated at the front passenger seat, turned to face me. “Mr. Sowe, we are being directed to transfer you to Mile Two for detention. I am sorry about that”. The words came like spikes into my heart. At a certain degree of fear, there is a zone of bravery. I feared no longer.

I was certain that death could be inflicted from man to man but Heaven or hell was entirely God’s discretion. “It’s alright, you don’t need to be sorry for that. You are merely doing your job. It’s okay with me “, I relieved him from fixing his eyes on me. We entered the gates of Mile Two on this 3rd December and never went out through them again till twenty six months later.

Has Ansumana Jammeh Been Arrested In A Predawn Raid?

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For the past four hours, Fatu Radio has been inundated with calls from credible sources about the “arrest” of Ansumana Jammeh, the half-brother of the President, Yahya Jammeh. In addition, our sources have been telling us about the arrest of Mr Sanna Bah who is an open business partner of Ansumana Jammeh.

Both men were said to have been arrested in a predawn raid by a combined security forces of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and  President Jammeh’s elite force attached to the Presidency.

According to our sources, the arrest of both Ansumana and Sanna came directly from the President Yahya Jammeh himself. One of our credible sources informed us that both men are being investigated in connection with some mining activities although it is still not clear which mining case the two are being investigated on.

However about two weeks ago local people in the coastal village of Kartong in the Western Region of the Gambia held a defiant protest against sand mining on the adjacent coastal beaches in their village leading to serious clashes with security forces in which scores of youths were arrested and eventually held in different security detention centres where they alleged they were brutally tortured.

Although the youths were eventually released on the orders of the President, fallout from the incident still continues. The sand mining in Kartong is controlled and coordinated by Ansumana Jammeh.

Also just last week, it has been announced that an Australian mining firm Carnegie Mineral, has won a multi-million dollar case against the Gambia government at the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes in the United Kingdom. The Australian company has been awarded about US$23 million for Gambia government’s abrupt decision to terminate the mining license of Carnegie Minerals. The Gambia government in addition, also impounded the mining company’s assets and arrested its Manager Charlie Northfield.

Although it is still not clear whether Ansumana and his business partner Sana Bah had any links with the case of Carnegie Minerals, our sources have confirmed to us that the President has instructed investigators to investigate all business activities of Ansumana Jammeh and Sanna Bah particularly related to mining issues.

Within the framework of the investigations, our sources have told us that investigators are interested in the companies of Ansumana particularly Maligam which many alleged has been involved in some money laundering and shady business activities.

Until recently, Ansumana Jammeh was the star spin master in Gambia who could fix face to face meetings with the President in the shortest possible time. Despite his near illiteracy, Ansumana was appointed Gambia’s ambassador to Qatar where instead of representing the country, he was busy striking business deals for his half-brother President Yahya Jammeh. Ansumana was so powerful at some point that even cabinet ministers had to go through him to be able to have audience with the President.

But now it seems Ansu, as he is fondly called, has fallen from grace. For now though it seems his fate is in the hands of Gambia’s security forces who are known for their unprofessional, compromised and bias reports against detainees who fallout with the dictator.

Gambian criminal laws challenged at regional court

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The Federation of African Journalists and three exiled Gambian reporters have filed a legal claim before the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States to challenge the pervasive culture of persecution, violence, and injustice towards journalists in The Gambia.

They argue that their right to freedom of expression has been violated, including through the use of criminal laws that prohibit criticism to be made of the government. These laws, which have their roots in colonial times when they were used to suppress dissent, are now specifically used to target journalists and human rights defenders.

The applicants have asked the Court to make a declaration that their very existence violates the right to freedom of expression. In addition, some of the applicants argue that they suffered torture as a consequence of them exercising their right to freedom of expression.

This marks the first time that The Gambia’s criminal laws have been challenged before an international court. The case has been brought with the support of the Media Legal Defence Initiative.

Since President Yahya Jammeh seized control in 1994, journalists in The Gambia have suffered arbitrary detention, criminal prosecution, and even torture at the hands of public officials.

Three of the applicants are Gambian journalists who have all fled the country. They have been charged under the country’s false news, criminal libel and sedition laws in relation to publications critical of President Jammeh and his regime. Whilst in custody, one of the applicants alleges that he was tortured by government authorities on multiple occasions, including to extract information from the journalist.

The experience of the three applicants is not unique; over 110 Gambian journalists have fled the country since 1994 for fear of similar prosecutions whose roots lie in the very existence of a set of criminal laws that are easily abused to suppress dissent. A judgment in the applicants’ favour would set an important precedent because of the potential impact on these laws in The Gambia, as well as similar laws elsewhere in the region.

In recent years, the Court of the Economic Community of West African States – better known by its acronym, ECOWAS – has proved to be an influential forum for human rights issues. Last year, the Court found that the Gambian government had failed to conduct a meaningful investigation into the death of journalist Deyda Hydara. The Federation of African Journalists supported that case also, and Maria Luisa Rogerio, Interim President of FAJ, commented that “FAJ has experienced first-hand the effects President Jammeh’s oppressive media laws have had on journalists in The Gambia.

The ECOWAS Court has already criticised the impunity witnessed in the Hydara case, and we hope that that they will continue in this vein by handing down a strong precedent criticising the criminal laws that are currently being used to persecute, intimidate and harass journalists in The Gambia and compel the country to maintain an environment where journalists are able to perform their duties without impediment.”

The Nigerian human rights lawyer Noah Ajare, who acts for the Applicants in the present case, said: “It is our hope that this application can benefit from the precedent of the Hydara case, since the ECOWAS Court is continuing to expand its work on human rights abuses in the West African region and has recognised the important role played by journalists in a democracy. The ECOWAS Court is carrying out a vitally important role in holding West African states to account for their human rights abuses. Thus the applicants are convinced that their right will be protected and preserved by the Court, despite the fact that most of them are not guaranteed justice before their national court.”

MLDI’s support of this case follows its involvement in two other precedent-setting African cases regarding journalists’ rights and freedom of expression. In 2014, Legal Director Nani Jansen co-represented a journalist from Burkina Faso before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Court ruled that imprisonment for defamation violates the right to freedom of expression. In addition, MLDI assisted the Burundi Journalists’ Union in bringing a case to the East African Court of Justice earlier this year. In its first ever judgment on free speech, that Court ruled that restrictions on the press imposed through Burundi’s 2013 Press Law violated the right to press freedom and the right to freedom of expression. The current claim at the ECOWAS Court builds on the precedent set by these two cases and invites the Court to align itself with the courts’ reasoning that criminal laws cannot unnecessarily restrict the right to freedom of expression.

Nani Jansen, Legal Director at MLDI, said: “The Gambia’s maintaining of these criminal laws constitutes a wide-ranging violation of the rights of journalists, media outlets and the recipients of independent news in the country. A favourable judgment from the ECOWAS Court would set an important precedent for journalists and independent media in The Gambia and would oblige the government to meet its responsibilities under international human rights law. It would also have a positive impact on other ECOWAS nations, where similarly restrictive laws are being used to prosecute journalists.”

British barrister Can Yeginsu, part of the team presenting the case at the ECOWAS Court, said: “This is a case of great public importance: it presents the ECOWAS Court with an opportunity to uphold the importance of the right to communicate opinions and ideas without fear of government retaliation or censorship. That right is, of course, of particular importance for the media which plays a special role as the bearer of the general right to freedom of expression for all.   Society as a whole will suffer if journalists are persecuted by public officials with apparent impunity.”

Notes to editors:

  • The Gambia is a Member State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The mandate of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice is to ensure “the observance of law, and of the principles of equity […] in the interpretation and application of the provisions of the Revised Treaty of the Economic Community of West African States.
  • The Application referred to in this press release was filed at the ECOWAS Court on 7 December 2015.
  • There are currently four Applicants: the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) and three Gambian journalists who currently live in exile outside of The Gambia.
  • FAJ is the African chapter of the International Federation of Journalists. It comprises of journalist trade unions and associations which came together to form a continental body of journalists’ trade unions in the media industry in Africa. FAJ’s common objective is to work to improve the social and professional rights of its members; it is now the most representative, independent and democratic journalists’ movement in Africa.
  • The Applicants argue that the continued maintenance, by The Gambia, of its criminal laws on sedition, defamation and prohibiting the publication of ‘false news’ represses press freedom and violates its citizens’ human rights. Among the relevant provisions of the criminal law being challenged are: provisions of the Criminal Code of 2009 which establish criminal offences relating to sedition; provisions of the Criminal Code of 2009 which establish the criminal offence of unlawful publication of libel; and provisions of the Information and Communications Act (as amended) which provide for the criminal offence of publication of false news or information.

For more information, please contact:

Nani Jansen, Legal Director, Media Legal Defence Initiative: [email protected], tel. + 442037525549

Noah Ajare, Lawyer, Victory Chambers: [email protected], tel. +2348033975746

Gabriel Baglo, Head of the Secretariat, Federation of African Journalists:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.’; document.getElementById(‘cloak84794’).innerHTML += ‘<a ‘=”” +=”” path=”” ‘\”=”” prefix=”” ‘:’=”” addy84794=”” ‘\’=”” style=”box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(219, 101, 61); text-decoration: none; transition: all 250ms ease-in-out;”>’+addy_text84794+'<\/a>’; //–> , tel. +221-33 867 95 86/87

Gambia’s Lonely Dictator Strikes Again; Issues Thinly Veiled Threat Saying He Will Publicly Re-Circumcise Any Religious Leader And Traditional Circumciser Who Defies His FGM Ban

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Gambia’s iron fist dictator Yahya Jammeh has issued a public threat against religious leaders and traditional circumcisers who defy his ban on the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the country.

Speaking at a public rally in his birth village of Kanilai in the Western Region of the Gambia, President Jammeh warned that he took the solemn decision to ban FGM in the Gambia and that any one including religious leaders and traditional circumcisers who defy the ban will be sent to jail.

FGM is a deeply rooted traditional practice in the Gambia where for centuries now, women have been going through the practice which in some parts of the country involves cutting away part of the clitoris or, at its most brutal, all the exposed female genitalia, leaving only a small opening for urination and menstruation. Women can die from its complications; sexual intercourse and child birth can be agonising.

Local people who practice it (about 88% of the Gambia’s population), say it’s a traditional ritual used culturally to ensure virginity and to make a woman marriageable. In the past two decades, local Muslim leaders have added their weight behind traditional circumcisers calling for the practice to stay linking it to a Prophetic sanction that the practice is good.

Vigorous efforts by local campaigners and rights groups to ban the practice have been outrode by Islamist campaigns and preaching in favour of the FGM practice mainly because they have access to the local media while President Yahya Jammeh banned local rights groups to discuss anything against FGM practice on the media.

Just two months ago the National Assembly, dominated by President Jammeh’s ruling party, rejected a bill to ban FGM in the Gambia saying it was a good cultural practice that should stay. Most of the parliamentarians said during the debate that they would not risk facing the wroth of the constituents by voting in favor of the ban on FGM.

However, now the Gambian dictator has taken a 360 degree U-turn on FGM by publicly declaring that it is banned in the Gambia. Although it is still not clear what motivated the lonely dictator to finally come to his senses to ban FGM, he could only however say at his public rally that for the past two decades he has seen women and young girls die in labour complicated by genital tampering related to FGM. The clueless dictator also linked FGM to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), HIV and cervical cancer.

Because of these and what he referred to as “rising cases of fistula among women and girls who have gone through the practice,” the dictator said he was banning FGM in the Gambia. Realising that he was preaching to a crowd of unhappy people in birth village who refused to even clap for him, the dictator ranted that if those who were not happy with what he said, could as well lick their own wounds. “Let me tell you that FGM is banned in the Gambia from today and there is no going back on it,” he said.

Dictator Jammeh warned that sever punishment awaits those who from now on perform FGM on girls. “Let me warn you that if anyone circumcises a girl from today, I will not only arrest that person, but the mother of the girl whom they circumcised, the village head in whose village the act is committed and any other family member associated with the issue,” he declared.

In a thinly vale threat which left many people wondering on the actual state of his mental fitness, the dictator, who it is now confirms suffers from paroxysms and occasional seizures even in public, warned that he will seriously deal with offenders that defy his FGM ban. Repeatedly swearing on the podium by invoking the names of God, the Gambian dictator warned: “I swear I will publicly re-circumcise any religious leader or traditional circumciser who defies my FGM ban. If you think am joking, then dare me and I swear again that I will put you in a place which is even more difficult than the hottest part of hell.”

Below we produce the audio of #Jammeh’s pronouncement on FGM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xmmE9NKfco

Gambia coup plotters: model citizens at home in US, but ‘everybody has a breaking point’

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Cherno Nije and Papa Faal are successful American citizens who by all accounts were living the American dream. No one knew of their secret plan to seize control of their home country of the Gambia
Analysis: ‘The Gambia coup didn’t just fail, it backfired’
Two men in US charged with conspiring to overthrow Gambian government

cherno

To those who knew him in Texas, Cherno Njie was a pillar of the community: a well-educated senior government worker turned rich and socially conscious property developer, a former school board member and a supporter of human rights and political progress in Africa.

To his alleged fellow insurgents in the Gambia he was codename “Dave”, a mastermind and financier behind a bungled plot to overthrow the president of the tiny west African country and install himself as the interim leader.

To the FBI he is a suspect charged with breaking a law dating back to 1794 called the Neutrality Act by conspiring to attempt a coup against a nation with which the US is at peace.

Njie, an Austin-based American citizen of Gambian descent, and Papa Faal, a dual Gambian-US citizen living in Minnesota and dubbed “Fox”, were arrested earlier this month after returning to the US following an alleged attempt to bring down Yahya Jammeh by seizing his presidential residence on 30 December. They appeared in federal court on Monday, where they were charged with weapons violations and violating the Neutrality Act.

Read More here : Link

The Scam Behind First Lady’s So-called Cancer Support Program

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It all looks genuine on paper but in reality it is one of the latest sophisticated schemes by Gambia’s gold digger First Lady to scam and fleece unsuspecting investors and ordinary Gambians of their hard earned money.

Some few weeks ago the wife of Gambia’s dictator Yahya Jammeh, First Lady madam Zainab Suma Jammeh launched a foundation that she said is setup to support cancer patients in the country eventhough her husband claims to treat cancer.

At the time, many critics dismissed the initiative as yet another money making scheme by a broke First Family determined to do everything blatantly possible to dupe unsuspecting people.

Now critics have been proven right. And the duping scheme is starting right with struggling civil servants who are being forced through a government directive to take part in a solidarity fund raising march to kick start the First Lady’s foundation.

It could be recalled that just last week, Gambian civil servants have been told that they should prepare for an eventual unannounced mass layout because of lack of funds to maintain a big public service workforce like we have in The Gambia.

In the face of eminent threat to decent living characterized by joblessness, Gambian civil servants are now told to not only participate in the First Lady’s so called cancer support march but also that they should buy T-Shirts at the cost of D250

Department heads are even warned to purchase a minimum of 50 T-Shirts which should be worn by their employees.

Currently Gambia is facing its worst economic crisis with some international bilateral organizations warning of dare consequences for the country unless serious reforms take place. At a time when institutions are struggling with meager resources, some without proper sanitary facilities or money to maintenance their vehicles, they are now forced to divert public resources into a foundation that is setup to scam and drain public coffers.

first;ady-cancer

Yaya Jammeh Threatening Gambians who practice FGM

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Yaya Jammeh Threatening Gambians who practice FGM

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GAMBIANS KEPT AS SLAVES IN LEBANON AS TWO HUMAN TRAFFICKERS FACE CHARGES IN THE GAMBIA!!!

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GAMBIANS KEPT AS SLAVES IN LEBANON AS TWO HUMAN TRAFFICKERS FACE CHARGES IN THE GAMBIA!!!
published March 22, 2015
Following reports on The Point Newspaper of four men dragged to court last week charged with trafficking in humans, Fatu Radio has also uncovered a heart wrenching scheme of trafficking in Gambians girls run by some Lebanese men. This reporter was able to speak with a young Gambian girl currently in Lebanon who was trafficked there few months ago. The revelations left us mortified and appalled. The girl (name withheld, so we will call her Miss X for her own security) said she embarked on the trip after her cousin helped secure a Gambian passport for her. The passport was sent to a Lebanese man named Ali who in turn sent a copy of the said passport to Lebanon to process her visa. After waiting for a few weeks, the visa arrived and she was boarded on a flight to Lebanon via Dakar and Addis Ababa.

Upon arrival in Lebanon, Miss X was picked at the airport by Ali, the same man who was alleged to have worked on her visa. She was then escorted to a Western Union Money transfer office, where she was asked to deposit her passport before she was introduced to a man, her new boss. This was when her nightmare started. According to Ms. X, she left three jobs since her arrival and was never paid a dime by her bosses. “We agreed on $175 a month, but I have never received a dime since I started working and nothing was explained to me” She added.

This reporter talked to another Gambian girl brought to Lebanon through the same same and players. According to her, she was paid only once since her arrival in Lebanon six months ago. She disclosed that upon arrival, she was asked to sign a contract for three years during which she cannot travel out of the country. This paper has been reliably informed that three other Gambian girls have been arrested in Lebanon and are currently jailed after attempting to abscond from their bosses due to ill treatment. “We are treated really bad here, my cell phone was seized by my boss for just taking photos in his house. He said I should never take photos in his house and seized my phone” She said. “I am not allowed to sit down for even a minute during my work hours, I clean toilets and do all the odd jobs for my boss and his family” She continued. The source went on to say that they hardly are given food to eat.

Many of the girls are in Lebanon because of worsening economic conditions in The Gambia, where many young people continue to languish without gainful employment after finishing their education. When this fact was put to one of the girls, the source quickly said “Please do not mention my name in your reports, I do not want to be killed by President Jammeh when I return home some day`’. She added that her mum passed away few years ago and she has a brother and a sister to take care of back home. “I looked for a job after finishing school, but I wasn’t lucky, reason why I am in Lebanon” She concluded.

The sad state affairs facing young Gambian girls in the mean time continues.

Partial anatomy of the rigged 2016 elections

When the regime of The Gambian dictator, Yaya Jammeh, embraced biometrics technology in 2009, neither he nor his Interior Minister, Ousman Sonko, understood the technology the Touray brothers, Hassan and Abdou Draman were introducing in their country of birth.

The brothers are Gambians who studied and worked in the United States, returning to their native country to invest their own funds in what became known as the GAMBIS (Biometrics) project which, with the expected cooperation of a willing partner, would have placed The Gambia in an enviable position by ushering in transparency in future elections.

The financial sector and particularly the banking and insurance sub-sectors, would have benefited in more ways than one. The country would have been – although in a sense, it still is somewhat – the first country in the ECOWAS region to have embraced the new technology had the regime not broke the conditions of the contract with Pristine Consulting headed by Hassan Touray.

Biometrics technology allows one to measure and analyze the physical attributes of a subject’s facial and voice features. It can also scan retinal features, all of which can be stored in the chip and once stored the data cannot be altered or manipulated in any form. It is this high degree of transparency that biometrics technology provides that troubled a notoriously opaque regime.

The project introduced a centralized accounting platform making it possible for revenue data collected by the Gambia Revenue Agency to be easily accessible to authorized personnel. It eliminated the need for government departments to collect cash for issuance and renewal of passports, driver’s licenses, national IDs or similar official documents.

The effect was instantaneous. But so was the reaction of the Inspector General of Police Ensa Badjie who stormed the Pristine Consulting offices to register his displeasure at the new system because revenue is not being collected by his officers. IGP Badjie may have been expressing the sentiments shared by many of his colleagues in the government.

After the IGP Ensa Badjie’s incident, it became increasingly evident that buyer’s remorse was beginning to set in, resulting in the regime framing charges against the company which resulted in counter suit that ended up with the government dropping the charges.

The financial and legal implications of the regime’s decision to discontinue the biometrics project are grave in the midst of an economic crisis that is of the doing of Yaya Jammeh who continues to ignore advice of the IMF and other donors to be prudent in his spending.

Legal liabilities resulting from the breach of contract which led to Pristine Consulting suing government may result in additional financial cost to the public treasury. The regime’s reaction to the company’s legal action was to frame the Touray brothers. Even though the false charges were eventually dropped with the promise to financially settle, the regime failed to fulfill in its promise.

Abandoning the biometrics project that was being 100% pre-financed by private investors were to recover their investment costs over 5 years means additional financial burden of the public treasury resulting from litigation.

It also means that the country is returning to the old system of laminated national ID and driver’s license that are susceptible to forgery and manipulation. 2016 is presidential election year which is an inopportune time to abandon a system which would have made voter registration more fraud-proof and thus a more transparent electoral process.

It should be noted that while the Jammeh regime has abandoned the biometrics system, ECOWAS’s protocol requiring all of its 16 Members State to adopt the biometrics ID cards effective this month, January 2016. The Gambia thus has the dubious honor of being the first to have adopted the system, the first to abandon it and will be the last to adopt it. It is not surprising because this is a regime that is confused and lacks both direction and resolve.

By Sidi Sanneh

Sheraton Hotel leaves Gambia!!! Poor Economy, Human Rights, and Tourist Season Cited As Reasons!!!

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Sheraton Hotel, the only international brand hotel in The Gambia is leaving on Dec 11 according to a bombshell memo released to Staff on Tuesday, December 2, 2015.  They were also informed their flag will come down on the day they cease operation.  The poor economy, human rights, and Tourist Season have all been cited as reasons why Sheraton decided to disassociate itself with The Gambia.  As expected, this news was met with shock, uncertainty, and trepidation by the employees.  The hotel currently has 200 employees but no staff layoffs as part of this move have been announced as of yet.  Sheraton has been operating in The Gambia since May 25, 2007.

The Sheraton brand is owned by Starwood Hotels but the land and building are both owned by MA Karafi and Sons.  What that means is that the hotel will stay but will no longer operate under the Sheraton brand.  MA Karafi and Sons will take full ownership of the building and running of the hotel according to information announced to the employees.  What implication this current arrangement has for the employees and their jobs is the subject of speculation, but observers note that a more precise prediction can be made as more information becomes available.

Sheraton has been mired in controversy from the moment the idea of having the hotel at its current location, the coastal town of Brufut was announced.  The land on which it stands was seized from its original owners – the Manneh Kunda clan, without any compensation whatsoever even though staff of the hotel were told it was given by the people of the town for free.  In fact, the clan members at the time of the construction of the hotel had several days of confrontation with security forces sent there to forcibly enforce President Yahya Jammeh’s illegal confiscation of the land.  By the time the fracas was over, some were beaten, others threatened, the rest bribed and coerced into silence, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth of many.

So when the hotel started operation, most were happy to watch it struggle to attract customers.  It was no secret that Sheraton despite its Five Star status could not leverage any advantages it seemingly had – great location, cutting edge facilities, professional staff, and comparably reasonable prices.  It seems the djinns of Sanneh Mentereng had cursed this world class hospitality resort, and in the process, the people of Brufut vindicated and exonerated.

Gambia’s reputation as world renown for human rights violations didn’t help Sheraton Gambia’s already battered situation – gay rights groups like Human Rights Campaign rallied their troops not to visit Gambia because of President Jammeh’s policy of LGBT abuse, Amnesty International, Robert F Kennedy Center, Human Rights Watch, Article19, and Gambian activists in the Diaspora have kept beating the drum on the killings, disappearances, and tortures of innocent Gambians.  And finally; the poor economy thanks to President Yahya Jammeh’s voodoo economic policies was the last nail into Sheraton Gambia’s coffin.

This is still a developing story and Faturadio will be monitoring the situation and update our readers as the matter progresses.

OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA, YAHYA A J J JAMMEH.

Mr President,

First and foremost, I would like to congratulate you for taking the initiative of  banning and denouncing this horrible practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and for promoting female rights, especially the rights of our young girls.  I would also like to congratulate you taking your time to research and discover a lot about FGM which postulates that FGM’s practice is solely based on cultural tradition and is not found in the Holy Quran or any authentic hadith of Prophet Muhammed (Sallah Laahu Alaihii Wasallam).

Mr President,

I hereby bear witness that Allah (SWT) is always with  the righteous  and the truth shall always prevail no matter how long it takes.  I would also like to reiterate  that there is no Gambian in The Gambia or in the diaspora who dislike you, the only difference that separates you from some of us is our different way of thinking.  Therefore you being  a person who claims to be democratically elected by the people, I wonder if there is any need for you to be reminded that every individual is entitled to think in his own capacity. Just so you also know that, anytime you differ in ideas and opinions from any human, it should not result in you insulting, torturing, jailing, killing or exiling  that person. Indeed the leader of a nation should strive to be loved by his people, instead of creating a  hostile environment and enemity between its people.

Mr President,

I pray to Allah (SWT) to guide, bless and protect our nation and its people.  I utter these words not to disrespect or to praise you, but solely because it’s coming from my heart. You should try by all means to bring peace and togetherness between you and your fellow Gambians, your neighbors as well as the outside world for the benefit of the nation as a whole. Since you are the leader of The Gambia you have to get along with your people as well as neighboring countries.  All said and done, you live in this world and have to get along with the people living inside The Gambia and other societies so that Allah will be pleased with you and spread his mercy on you and the people you are leading.

Mr President,

I pray to Allah (SWT) to bring peace to all mankind throughout the world.  I equally pray for all organizations that worked tirelessly for the past thirty years to bring the horrible practice of FGM to an end. Such organizations include The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices the Health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP), the Foundation for Research on Women’s Health Productivity and the Environment (BAFROW) and others.

Again, I hereby asked in the name of Allah (SWT), the most merciful for you to unconditional release all illegally detained personnel, political prisoners, religious leaders such as Imam Sawaneh, Gassama’ Colley and any others. I would like to conclude with this, as a Muslim and Religious Leader, I hereby advise you to work on a transition to hand over power before it is too late. Everything on earth must come to an end. Before leaving you as a brother I advise you to think about what great thinker call an EXIT ROUTE because most leaders who remain icons of history knew when it was time for them to leave through the big gate.

Mr President,

You are still young and able, there are more benefits in life to yearn for.  Their is life after the presidency.

 

As-Salaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatu-llaahi Wa Barakaatuh,

Imam Baba M. Leigh

Washington DC, U.S.A.

Gambia News

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Gambia: Release peaceful protesters and community members arbitrarily detained

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Source : Amnesty International – http://bit.ly/1YDP8VL

Gambian authorities must release peaceful protesters and community members, including a man in his 70s, who were arbitrarily arrested and detained last week, said Amnesty International today.
At least 40 people were arrested by police during and after a largely peaceful protest by young people and community members in the town of Kartong on Sunday 22 November 2015. The protest, against sand mining in the area, was largely peaceful although witnesses have reported that the situation between some of the protestors and the security forces appeared tense at times.

“The police should not arrest people on an arbitrary basis and criminal charges should only be brought against those against whom there is clear evidence.”
Amnesty International has spoken to community members and witnesses who report that police arrested people in a blanket fashion. Some of the people arrested were either peacefully protesting or not involved in the protest at all. Those arrested include a man in his seventies who is said to be in poor health. Police also arrested family members of at least one activist, although the family members were not involved in the protest.
Witness reports indicate that the police used excessive force during the arrests and some people were injured.
On 24 November, 33 of those arrested were charged with conspiracy, breach of the peace, riot, causing malicious injuries and riotously interfering with a vehicle. They were denied bail and are currently awaiting trial in the country’s biggest prison, Mile 2. Family members were not permitted to visit the detainees.
Amnesty International spoke to a local activist and a community member who fear further arrests and reprisals against activists who have voiced concerns at the harmful impact of sand mining on their environment and community.
Amnesty International is calling on authorities in Gambia to immediately and unconditionally release those detained solely because of their participation in a peaceful protest, or those detained on an arbitrary basis.
The authorities should also promptly look into the concerns expressed by the community about the negative impacts of sand mining and take action to ensure human rights are respected and protected in the context of mining activity.
“Those arrested and detained in connection with a criminal offence should have a fair trial and must have their rights in detention upheld. This includes access to their lawyers, families and medical treatment, and the opportunity to challenge their pre-trial detention” said Sabrina Mahtani.
“Any charges should be proportionate and people should not be charged with more serious crimes simply because they were taking part in a protest,” said Sabrina Mahtani.

Gambia: SONA Jobarteh On New Album

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Rising Gambian-UK based kora sensation is currently busy in the studious ahead of the official release of her much anticipated album.

Reports reaching What’s On revealed that the much talked about album is currently undergoing superb recording in some of the world’s renowned studious. The album set for release this October is drawing on the sounds from the last hit album ‘Fasiya’. However, it is anticipated that the upcoming album will be even more dynamic, featuring the raw acoustic sounds of the instruments that she plays such as the kora, guitar, calabash and bass.

“The new album is going to be an exciting new project drawing on the sounds from the last album, but being a lot more dynamic in arrangement and contrast.

According to her, she is working with traditional instruments, particularly from here in The Gambia, but giving them a new sound and a new edge, whilst still maintaining their culturally rooted voices.

“Also there will be bringing in a few collaborators, so it’s going to be really exciting, and more boundaries will be broken in the name of maintaining and preserving of our tradition”, Sona Jobarteh noted.

Combining beautiful infectious melodies and rhythms, the forthcoming album is billed not only to satisfy Sona’s ever growing fan-base across the world, but also showcase again the outstanding musical niche she continues to carve in this domain of Manding music.

The kora player is well aware of the urge for this project, but is also sure to give her very best to her fans, whose love and support has been immense.

Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan Poisoned in The Gambia!!!

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In December 2013, Ayoub Aliris, the Chef at Coco Ocean Hotel in The Gambia was charged with “negligence and food poisoning on Jonathan and his delegation.”   He was alleged to have committed the offense during the then Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan’s two-day official State visit to the West African country in November of the same year.  Jonathan suffered a major stomach upset which required him to seek medical attention at a London hospital.  Babucarr Gomez, a cook at the said hotel was the primary prosecution witness.  Ayoub denied all charges.

As it turns out, Ayoub was right in proclaiming his innocence – he was framed in a scheme that will make for a blockbuster Nollywood voodoo theme movie.  Superstitious undertakings have and continue to cost many lives in Africa because of the sheer irresponsible nature of their execution to the health of their intended targets even if harming the person’s wellbeing is not even the secondary goal.

 

Unconfirmed reports from sources on the ground have it that Modou Jatta, the Chief Security, Household at the Statehouse was picked up this Monday, December 1, 2015 by agents of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) for unknown reasons.  Faturadio is trying to determine, if true, the reasons as to why he is being held.

Unimpeachable sources at the State house have confirmed to Faturadio that President Yahya Jammeh was the one responsible for Goodluck Jonathan’s food poisoning and that it was this Modou Jatta that he used to execute his plan that almost cost the former Naija President his life.

According to these sources, Jammeh is a strong believer in voodoo and witchcraft.  He also believes that a special concoction of herbs, Islamic scriptures, bananas, and water can produce magical results.  This is the main ingredient behind his “AIDS Cure”.  It was in this vein that he believed he could cast a spell on Jonathan that would make the Naija President to do anything he (Yahya) asks him to do – essentially making Goodluck unwillingly dance to his tunes, by using one of these concoctions.  This concoction is called “Saffara” in the local Wollof language.

Once Jonathan was in town for his visit, a special dinner was organized in his honor at the Coco Ocean Hotel, one of the finest in the region.  According to our sources, before the meal, Yahya gave the “Saffara” to Modou Jatta with special instructions – give the concoction to the cooks in the kitchen of the hotel and ask them to put it in President Jonathan’s food.  The Nigerian had a three course meal and the “Saffara” was put in the main course which was seafood served on a main dish plate.

When Jonathan fell ill, which was not the intent, Jammeh got nervous according to these sources.  To cover his tracks, he immediately instructed Saul Badjie to order the arrest of the cooks at Coco Ocean Hotel, blame them for everything, and they have since been languishing in the notorious Mile 2 prisons.  The Nigerian President who would eventually lose his reelection to Muhammadu Buhari, it seems has since recovered from the illness caused by this incident – Thank God!

Gambia’s Dictator Fires All Deputy Service Chief For Failing To Manage His Rented Crowd

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Gambia’s unpredictable President, Yahya Jammeh has dismissed with immediate effect, all deputy service chiefs of the security forces except the deputy Inspector General of police.

According to security sources, the dismissal is related to the chaotic manner in which the presidential security details were handled and managed during the President’s dialogue with the People tour which started in the first week of November.

One of our sources said the President was particularly angry with the manner in which security forces accompanying him on his tour managed a crowd of onlookers at his public meeting in Gunjur, Kombo South in the Western Region of The Gambia.

Our sources said the crowd in Gunjur was not only chaotic but also at some point disinterested in what was being said at the meeting to the point that a section of the crowd became much of a nuisance.

At some point according to sources, the deputy inspector general of police, had to intervene himself to personally lead efforts to bring in some form of decorum by trying to control the crowd.

A rather red-faced President who is believed to be seriously sick, blamed his senior security officials on tour with him for not effectively managing the crowd leading to their dismissal.

It has to be noted that President Yahya Jammeh uses all kinds of underhand tactics to potray an image that he is liked and adored by the people. He travels with rented crowds by using the national radio and television to advance and cultivate this personality cult syndrome.

But since the beginning of the tour in November, local people have been turning their backs on a President who has now become a lonely, dejected dictator for his numerous failed promises that have repeatedly been made without being fulfilled.

Fatu Radio will continue to monitor the situation and will update our audience as soon as any new information comes out.

With His Attempt to Silence the Gallant People of Kartong Failing, Jammeh Employs His Most Insidious Maneuver – Divide And Conquer!

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A whooping five Cabinet Ministers are currently in Kartong, at the home of the Alkalo to be more specific, to “discuss” the sand mining saga that recently saw the men and women of this once peaceful village declaring “enough is enough” and taking to the streets in what one eye witness described as “the greatest act of defiance” he has seen in years in that country.

On the surface, this mission undertaken by these Ministers may seem like a routine act of reconciliation.  However, upon further scrutiny, observers have uncovered a familiar insidious ploy at work that is meant to do nothing but to break the bond of unity that this once divided village (thanks to Yahya Jammeh’s strategy of pitting family against family, tribe against tribe method) has finally accomplished – ironically, thanks to this sand mining protest.

When news of the protest in Kartong broke, it seemed from the beginning that this is what activists both on the ground and in the Diaspora have been waiting for – they took to Facebook, Twitter, contacted international organizations and human rights groups, set up GoFundme account for funds to be raised, private individuals wired money right away, online radios and blogs cranked up their publicity engines to both inform those on the ground of what’s going on (since it was a media blackout in the Gambia as usual) and to amplify the message from the activists on the ground in Kartong, the coordination and messaging were impressive.  Sensing the firestorm this situation has generated and with the potential to rally the entire nation, Jammeh decided to save face and in his usual bravado style, promised during the leg of his Meet-The-People Tour in Gunjur to free the arrested protestors but that “anyone whose parent’s fail to discipline you, the government will do it for them.”

It is against this backdrop that the Cabinet Ministers are in Kartong to get concessions from elders of the town knowing fully well the youths are in no mood for negations or any form of capitulating despite the tortures already meted out on them by the security forces, some of whom currently need medical attention.  The people of Kartong must therefore stick to their position and most importantly maintain the hard fought unity they have finally achieved.  For all the years they have been fighting this cause to see sand mining stopped in their community because of the environmental disaster this has already caused, this is the moment of truth – it is either now or never!  They therefore must make sure this opportunity doesn’t slip – the regime is at its worst, it cannot afford a protracted fight on this matter, Yahya Jammeh is unwilling to engage in a confrontation, and the situation in the country is too shaky to allow for further rocking of the boat.  Do not give up your demands for any promises whatsoever, do not walk away from the streets until all the bulldozers leave town, and make sure you continue to speak with one voice.  The moment you fail in any of the above, you can kiss your noble cause a goodbye!  We are here for support in any way, be rest assured.

Gambian Dictator Fires One Of His Chief Pimps and Confidant

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Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh has disgracefully fired his long time stewardess and family member Ndey Jammeh. This is not the first time that Ndey has been removed from State House. The first one was after Jammeh’s failed marriage with Alima Sallah, daughter of The Gambia’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

According to our credible sources, Ndey was disgraced by the dictator during his dialogue with the people tour in the Lower River Region (LRR) and was asked to leave the tour immediately. She has also been dismissed from her State House job and indeed all other official role/s she was engaged in.

 

Sources told Fatu Radio Ndey’s dismissal had to do with information that was allegedly passed to the First Lady, Zineb Jammeh which was said to have come from Ndey. In addition, it has been confirmed that Ndey, whose husband Sarjo was a serving member of The Gambia Armed Forces is also said to have been removed from the Army a while ago.

Many at the Office of The President received Ndey’s dismissal as a welcome development saying that she reports to The President everything that happens in that office. She is also said to be in the habit of threatening young protocol officers at State House for communicating with outsiders. One of the girls told Fatu Radio that Ndey threaten them that President Jammeh was always aware of whoever they the protocol girls talk to on the phone. “This alone has been a sure way of controlling the girls who work at the protocol division and to be kept at bay from the public,” says one source. She is also said to be very selfish and receive all the gifts from The President telling the other staff that she will share later which never happened.

Like many Jammeh supporters, Ndey according to sources gossips a lot about the President, saying he is a womanizer and had once told her sister Jimbe to stop dishing out young girls to Jammeh, whose appetite for young virgin girls is overwhelming. An insider at The State house said Ndey has once confided in her that The First Lady is arrogant and she blames The President for marrying an arrogant non Gambian. Like Jammeh she also has the divide the rule attitude, telling staff to be careful of each other, thereby creating mistrust amongst them. “Ndey used to tell us that his late dad did everything for The President when he was a kid, adding that whatever Jammeh did for her and her siblings is well earned” a source said adding “Ndey always denied the young protocols drinking water from the office, and only gives to her sister Jimbe and the rest of the family.”

She is also said to have been complaining about her husband Sarjo, after his removal from the military, saying he is a ‘useless’ man who could not afford anything for his family. Ndey and her family live in ‘Yarambamba’ at a house given to them by The President. Before her sister Jimbe becomes the one who arranges young women for the dictator, Ndey was tasked with that role until Jammeh married Alima who was very closed to her. Jimbe now takes over escorting young girls to the dictator’s bedroom and dumping them once they got pregnant. Jammeh according to his young victims does not use condoms thereby getting them pregnant easily.