Africa Watch: One Editor is Killed and Five Journalists Detained in Gambia

"Part of the reason why poverty still persists in our continent is governments inability to work in a bi-partisan manner with the opposition to confront the many problems facing us as a continent. In almost all the advanced democracies a government in power works or listens to the opposition in matters of national importance such as education, defence, energy and the economy. However in Africa such matters are always hijacked by the ruling government to the detriment of the nation and its people". Lord Aikins Adusei

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

One Editor is Killed and Five Journalists Detained in Gambia

Authorities arrested five journalists on Monday after a journalists’ union criticized comments made by President Yahya Jammeh about the killing of a newspaper editor who was gunned down in December 2004, a police official said.

Human rights groups have voiced suspicions that state security services were involved in the killing of the editor, Deyda Hydara of The Point, and have dismissed a government investigation as a smokescreen.

Last week, Mr. Jammeh said in an interview that the government had “no stake” in the killing and hinted that Mr. Hydara was killed because of a complicated love life.

The Gambia Press Union issued a statement over the weekend condemning the comments as “provocative,” saying they amounted to “character assassination.”

On Monday, the police raided the union’s offices and detained the journalists.

Credit: NYTimes