Mori K,

I red this piece two days ago. Only Gambians are not being told the truth.
In any case, the world is now fully aware of the brutality and repression of
the Jammeh regime. Thanks for putting the piece up.

Saul.


>From: "Mori K. Jammeh" <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Commnwealth's Declaration on The Gambia
>Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 19:28:10 -0600
>
>Gambia L Members,
>I culled this very interesting piece of information from the Independent
>newspaper of the Gambia about the global humiliation our country is about
>to
>face if those leaders do not put their acts together.I hope the government
>will take this body seriously because I believe their cry is the cry off
>all
>citizens of the Gambia today, where civil servants are threatened with
>dismissal under no basis,illegal detentions,and massive looting of poor tax
>payers money just to name a few.
>
>
>Gambia Government under fire
>As Commonwealth decries human rights record
>
>The government of President Yahya Jammeh has been seriously lambasted at
>the
>Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Durban, South Africa.
>Both human rights activists and the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group
>(CMAG) criticised the Gambian Government for 'gross human rights
>violations,
>political incorrectness and lack of freedom for the press' amongst other
>things.
>
>According to the CMAG report submitted before CHOGM, the Jammeh
>administration had violated the Harare principles, contravening good
>governance and democratic practices. The report highlighted Decree 89 that
>banned former politicians from the ousted Jawara regime from participating
>in politics. It also highlighted military decrees that violate the
>constitution or international legal obligations. CMAG further submitted
>that
>while constitutional rule had returned, The Gambia's status is deeply
>compromised by the continued existence on the statute books of archaic laws
>and repressive military decrees and restrictions and harassment of
>opposition activists.
>
>Several cases were reported including the closure by the government of
>Citizen FM radio station in February 1998, the sacking of two leading
>journalists Demba Jawo and Theophilus George and the purchase of the Daily
>Observer by a businessman believed to be close to the government.
>
>The temporary closure of The Independent newspaper in August 1999 and the
>detention of its editors were assessed as politically motivated action by
>the report. The detention of Alieu Badara Sowe in September 1999 was also
>highlighted.
>
>Article 19, a London based human rights organisation, also urged CMAG to
>put
>pressure on the Government of The Gambia to improve its compliance with the
>Harare principles and further urged CMAG to send a high level mission to
>review the human rights situation in The Gambia. Article 19 further urged
>international donors to use their influence with the Gambia Government to
>ensure that the National Communication and Information Policy fully accords
>with international standards before providing financial assistance for its
>implementation. Article 19 further recommended to CMAG that the Gambia
>Government be required to repeal those military decrees which violate the
>constitution or international legal obligations; end all harassment of
>journalists including periodic threats to deport non-Gambians as
>journalists
>and opposition activists; allow Citizen FM radio to resume broadcasting
>immediately and return all equipment confiscated from the owners in 1998,
>commit itself to creating a National Communication and Information Policy
>(NACIP) which fully accords with international standards and not establish
>regulatory bodies such as the National Media Commission until such time as
>the NACIP policy is in place. They further urged that the government commit
>itself to guaranteeing, by law, the editorial and operational independence
>of the Gambia Radio and Television Services.
>
>Don Mckinnon, the newly elected Commonwealth Secretary-General, told
>journalists that The Gambia still remained in the books of CMAG.  He also
>said specifically that Decree 89 contravened good governance, and is
>'undemocratic'.  He urged the Jammeh government to review all military
>decrees.
>
>Kaye Whiteman, the Commonwealth's summit spokesperson said at a press
>briefing that President Jammeh had extended an invitation to CMAG to visit
>The Gambia and assess its human rights and democratic practices.
>
>*** photo caption:Don Mckinnon will take over as Secretary General of the
>Commonwealth in 2000..
>
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