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Momodou
Denmark
11717 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Jun 2011 : 12:39:19
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Gambia Agrees to Investigate Deyda’s Murder, Manneh’s Disappearance
Sunday, June 12, 2011
 The Gambia government is reported to have informally agreed to calls for independent investigations into the killing of a veteran Gambian journalist Deyda Hydara and disappearance of Chief Ebrima Manneh, The Daily News has reliably gathered.
Co-founder of The Point, a leading Gambian independent newspaper, Deyda Hydara was assassinated in 2004. His killers are not known and yet the government remained reluctant to allow independent investigations in his murder.
Chief Ebrima Manneh, a senior reporter at pro-government Daily Observer newspaper has been allegedly arrested by state security agents since 2007.
“We are pleased that the Gambia government acquiesced to our repeated calls and they have now committed to request international support to facilitate investigations into the disappearance of Chief Ebrima Manneh and murder of Deyda Hydara.
“We wait a formal request from the Gambian side, and once received, we will facilitate contact for international support for investigations into both cases through the United Nations and Commonwealth”, the UK Foreign Office told Glasgow based Campaign for Human Rights in Gambia UK (CHRG)
The Foreign Office made this revelation recently while addressing concerns made by Arthur West Chairman Campaign for Human Rights in The Gambia UK on the critical human rights situation in The Gambia.
The Scottish based Gambian rights group has since inception been working closely with the Foreign Office, senior politicians, pro-democracy group and human rights organisations to address right violations in The Gambia.
In July 2010 CHRG-UK through its Campaign Officer Alieu Badara Ceesay secured British and Scottish Parliaments’ opposition to the abuse of human rights in The Gambia through a parliamentary motion in both houses with cross party support.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said at the meeting on April 12 attended by six Gambian ministers, the EU delegation also reiterated calls for the Gambia government to consider repealing certain provisions in the Criminal Code.
The letter stated that for now the FCO will continue to press The Gambia government to act on the agreed commitments they have made during the Article 8 discussions.
EU budget support to The Gambia has been suspended since April 2010 and will be reviewed at the end of 2011, The Daily News sources at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said.
Despite calls from The Gambia government to resume this budget support, if progress on the overall political and accountability environment is not evident the EU will not lift this suspension, our sources said.
Commenting on the development, Mr Alieu Badara Ceesay, an exile Gambian journalist, who is the campaign officer applauded the Foreign Office for standing up for fundamental human rights in The Gambia and working hand in glove with CHRG in addressing the human rights situation in The Gambia.
Source: Dailynews
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