By Lamin Njie
United Democratic Party Thursday evening lashed out at an award given to former president Yahya Jammeh, saying it’s an ‘outrage’ and the ‘gravest insult’ to dignity of the victims of the former dictator.
Concerned Gambia Social Welfare Association on Wednesday 4 March awarded Jammeh its ‘peace’ award. The event was held at APRC’s bureau in Manjai.
UDP reacted to the development on Thursday saying its secretary general and party leader and the executive committee condemn in the strongest possible terms “this bogus ‘peace award’ to Yahya Jammeh”.
“For any Gambian individual, group or organisation to give an award to the most brutal dictator that the people of the Gambia have ever seen is an outrage and the gravest insult to dignity of the victims of Yahya Jammeh,” the party said in a statement.
UDP also reserved special criticism for the Gambian media over coverage of the award.
The party said: “The most disturbing thing to the UDP is the media coverage such a nefarious activity is receiving in the Daily Newspapers, Online and Social media like the Standard, the Voice and Fatu Network.
“UDP is urging all Political Parties, the Gambia Press Union, the Gambia Media Council and the Gambia Government to condemn this spurious award to Yahya Jammeh: because this may undermine the work of the TRRC and the whole reform agenda of the transition process of the Gambia from dictatorship to democracy.
“…the United Democratic Party urges the media fraternity aka the fourth estate to practice responsible journalism and to be sensitive to the pain and suffering of the victims of Yahya Jammeh and indeed the entire nation by not sensationalizing non-stories or publishing unworthy pieces of information through the formal media platforms.”
