Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BANJUL318
2006-05-19 12:17:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Banjul
Cable title:
THE GAMBIA: UDPATE ON DETAINEES, STATUS OF
how-toVZCZCXRO0715 RR RUEHMA RUEHPA DE RUEHJL #0318 1391217 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 191217Z MAY 06 FM AMEMBASSY BANJUL TO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0272 RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6680 INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
UNCLAS BANJUL 000318
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KMCA AU GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: UDPATE ON DETAINEES, STATUS OF
NEWSPAPER
REF: A. BANJUL 297
B. BANJUL 301
C. BANJUL 300
D. BANJUL 316 (ALL NOTAL)
STATUS OF DETAINEES
--------------------
UNCLAS BANJUL 000318
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KMCA AU GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: UDPATE ON DETAINEES, STATUS OF
NEWSPAPER
REF: A. BANJUL 297
B. BANJUL 301
C. BANJUL 300
D. BANJUL 316 (ALL NOTAL)
STATUS OF DETAINEES
--------------
1. (SBU) Ref a reports the initial court hearing March 10 for
16 detainees charged in connection with the coup plot
thwarted here March 21. Our contacts indicate that, in
subsequent days, these detainees have finally been allowed to
receive visits from family members and lawyers; refs b and c
report conoff's visit to detained Amcit (dual national)
Tamsir Jasseh. Among the estimated five or so detainees that
have yet to be charged, we are aware of at least one, Mariam
Denton, Jasseh's lawyer, who has received visitors.
According to a well-informed journalist, at least two
detainees, former National Intelligence Agency (NIA)
officials Abdoulie Kujabi and Ngor Secka, remain hospitalized
due to beatings by authorities.
SAGA OF THE "INDEPENDENT"
--------------
2. (SBU) Meanwhile, the privately owned journal,
"Independent," closed by authorities shortly after the failed
coup attempt, has yet to resume operation. According to our
journalistic source, the GOTG fears that, given the paper's
hardline anti-government orientation, if allowed now to
resume publication, its articles could unacceptably tarnish
President Jammeh's image in the runup to the African Union
Summit scheduled to be held here in late June/July. While
the paper's General Manager and Editor-in-Chief, detained for
several weeks after the overthrow attempt, remain free on
bail, its journalist, Lamin Fatty, remains in custody and has
now been formally charged with the offense of "publishing
false information" -- presumably based on his article
erroneously reporting the detention of a former senior
official for suspected involvement in the foiled plot.
COMMENT
--------------
3. (SBU) We are continuing to register our concern to the
GOTG over the negative human rights trend here and urge steps
to reverse that trend, most recently in Ambassador's May 18
meeting with the senior Presidential adviser (ref d) It is
noteworthy that the African Union's Commission on Human and
People's Rights, based in Banjul, is currently holding its
annual session here; to our knowledge, the session has yet to
produce any public criticism of the Gambian hosts' current
backsliding on human rights, but we are told that some
attendees -- e.g., from South Africa -- have voiced concern
in behind-the-scenes discussions with Gambian officials. END
COMMENT.
STAFFORD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KMCA AU GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: UDPATE ON DETAINEES, STATUS OF
NEWSPAPER
REF: A. BANJUL 297
B. BANJUL 301
C. BANJUL 300
D. BANJUL 316 (ALL NOTAL)
STATUS OF DETAINEES
--------------
1. (SBU) Ref a reports the initial court hearing March 10 for
16 detainees charged in connection with the coup plot
thwarted here March 21. Our contacts indicate that, in
subsequent days, these detainees have finally been allowed to
receive visits from family members and lawyers; refs b and c
report conoff's visit to detained Amcit (dual national)
Tamsir Jasseh. Among the estimated five or so detainees that
have yet to be charged, we are aware of at least one, Mariam
Denton, Jasseh's lawyer, who has received visitors.
According to a well-informed journalist, at least two
detainees, former National Intelligence Agency (NIA)
officials Abdoulie Kujabi and Ngor Secka, remain hospitalized
due to beatings by authorities.
SAGA OF THE "INDEPENDENT"
--------------
2. (SBU) Meanwhile, the privately owned journal,
"Independent," closed by authorities shortly after the failed
coup attempt, has yet to resume operation. According to our
journalistic source, the GOTG fears that, given the paper's
hardline anti-government orientation, if allowed now to
resume publication, its articles could unacceptably tarnish
President Jammeh's image in the runup to the African Union
Summit scheduled to be held here in late June/July. While
the paper's General Manager and Editor-in-Chief, detained for
several weeks after the overthrow attempt, remain free on
bail, its journalist, Lamin Fatty, remains in custody and has
now been formally charged with the offense of "publishing
false information" -- presumably based on his article
erroneously reporting the detention of a former senior
official for suspected involvement in the foiled plot.
COMMENT
--------------
3. (SBU) We are continuing to register our concern to the
GOTG over the negative human rights trend here and urge steps
to reverse that trend, most recently in Ambassador's May 18
meeting with the senior Presidential adviser (ref d) It is
noteworthy that the African Union's Commission on Human and
People's Rights, based in Banjul, is currently holding its
annual session here; to our knowledge, the session has yet to
produce any public criticism of the Gambian hosts' current
backsliding on human rights, but we are told that some
attendees -- e.g., from South Africa -- have voiced concern
in behind-the-scenes discussions with Gambian officials. END
COMMENT.
STAFFORD