THE GAMBIA: MEDIA CRACKDOWN CONTINUES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000465

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DAKAR PLS PASS RAO,ODC, AND DAO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/20/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: MEDIA CRACKDOWN CONTINUES

REF: A. BANJUL 396 ET AL


B. BANJUL 422

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (D)

SUMMARY
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1. (C) The GOTG's crackdown on the media continues, as the
journal, "Independent" remains closed and there are reports
of authorities preventing publication of another journal,
"Daily Express." The international NGO community has wasted
no time in reacting to the crackdown, as exemplifed by the
July 14 statement of the Committee to Protect Journalists
expressing concern over the plight of individual journalists.
U.S. concern over the media crackdown remains a key topic
in our dialog with the GOTG. END SUMMARY.

ONGOING CRACKDOWN
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2. (C) The Gambia's privately owned media institutions
continue to be targetted by authorities in the negative human
rights trend here in recent months. As previously reported
(ref a),in late March, following a failed coup plot, the
GOTG closed the offices of a journal, "Independent," known
for its harsh criticisms of President Yahya Jammeh and his
government, and it has yet to resume publication.
Subsequently, the foreign-based online publication, "Freedom
Newspaper," also anti-Jammeh in outlook, claimed that
pro-GOTG hackers had been responsible for the disruption of
its website and public disclosure of subscribers' names;
authorities reacted by calling in locally resident
subscribers for questioning.


3. (C) Besides closing the "Independent," authorities
detained the paper's General Manager, Madi Ceesay, and Chief
Editor, Musa Saidykhan, for several weeks before releasing
them without charge. A journalist with the paper, Lamin
Fatty, was also picked up and held for over two months before
being released on bail. He now faces trial on charges of
"printing false information."

THE SAGA OF "DAILY EXPRESS"
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4. (C) Most recently, there are reports of authorities
preventing publication of another local journal, "Daily
Express," following its initial appearance on newsstands July

1. Madi Ceesay, in his capacity as head of the Gambia Press
Union (GPU),in a public statement, claimed that the National
Intelligence Agency (NIA) had detained the journal's owner
(and RFI correspondent),Sam Obi and associate Abdou Gafar,
both Nigerians, and, after several days in custody, released
them earlier this week. However, the NIA reportedly has
informed the pair that they will face further questioning.
According to Ceesay and other sources, the "Daily Express"
earned the GOTG's displeasure for, inter alia, an article in
its initial edition that -- coinciding with the African
Union Summit here -- reported the GOTG's refusal to permit a
pre-Summit gathering of NGO's to discuss freedom of
expression in The Gambia.

REACTIONS BY FOREIGN NGO'S
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5. (C) The international NGO community has wasted no time in
registering concern over the deteriorating media environment
here and the plight of individual journalists. In its July
14 statement, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
cited the case of Ebrima Manneh, a journalist with the
government mouthpiece, "Daily Observer," reporting that he
had been missing since July 7. The CPJ asserted that another
journalist, Sulayman Makalo, formerly with the "Independent"
and "Daily Express," had gone into hiding to avoid arrest.
It also noted that a former journalist, Malick Mboob, picked
up May 26 by the NIA, remained in detention without charge.
(COMMENT: Our contacts indicate that Manneh and Makalo may
well have fled to Senegal and that Mboob was detained when
authorities determined that he was among local sources of
information for "Freedom Newspaper." END COMMENT)

THE CASE OF DEYDA HYDARA
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6. (C) Meanwhile, the December 2004 murder of prominent
journalist Deyda Hydara, associated with the independent
journal, "The Point," remains unsolved, amidst persistant
allegations of GOTG involvement.

COMMENT

BANJUL 00000465 002 OF 002


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7. (C) U.S. concern over the media crackdown remains a
prominent topic in our dialog with the GOTG, and visiting AF
DAS Thomas-Greenfield reiterated that concern in her July 2
meeting with President Jammeh (ref b). Jammeh, for his part,
does not conceal his distaste for the private journals and
their anti-GOTG criticisms, and it is uncertain whether he
will ever permit the "Independent" to resume publication.
With the "Independent" closed, the two principal independent
journals still operating and producing any semblance of
objective reporting (including measured anti-GOTG criticism)
are the daily "The Point" and "Foroyaa," which appears
several times a week. Under pressure from authorities, "The
Point," in particular,has noticeably eased its criticism of
Jammeh and his government in recent months. END COMMENT.


STAFFORD