Hi folks,

FYI.  I sent the following to the PR-Network mailing list to solicit their
thoughts on the issue of President Jammeh being provided services by the EAW
Group.  By the way, please note that the Web address included in the posting
from Ebrima Ceesay's friend has a typo.  I have included a link to the O'Dwyer
site.

I also came across additional O'Dwyer reports that reference The Gambia, and the
Democratic Republic of Congo.  Here's one from earlier this year, when the
Washington World Group provided it's services to The Gambia:

http://www.odwyerpr.com/washrpt/wash0110.htm

It is especially interesting to note the reference to the Washington Times
article on Jammeh.  Which makes me think that that site will be worth paying a
visit.  I think that Dr. George Ayiteh (very critical of Jammeh and other
African leaders) is also a contributor to the Washington Times, and we might
want to contact him to help get the Washington Times to do a follow-up article
on Jammeh when next the guy is in town.

The reference to the DRC is found in the Feb. 7, 2000 O'Dwyer report
(http://www.odwyerpr.com/washrpt/wash0207.htm). There again, the price tag for
their service was $500,000.  As I indicated in my e-mail below, we should launch
a PR campaign againsts the EAW Group (just like the campaign against the diamond
industry) for supporting and/or providing services to the Jammeh government.
The ultimate objective should be that the Jammeh government will find it
impossible to have any PR firm do work for them.  For this reason, we should
from now on keep an eye on the O'Dwyer Web site for information about who is
representing President Jammeh (at least in the US) because the firms are
required by US law to disclose such agreements they enter into with foreign
governments or people.  For your information, you can find a list of all Foreign
Agents for different countries at:
http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fara/fara1st99/COUNTRY/FARATOC.HTM It is quite an
eye-opener.

Finally, thanks to Ebrima and his friend for forwading information about the EAW
Group deal to this list.  It has certainly opened a whole new door!

Have a great weekend, and best wishes.

Katim


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: A question of ethics
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2000 11:31:25 -0700
From: "Katim S. Touray" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]

Hi folks,

I would like your opinion on the ethics of PR firms representing repressive
governments and their leaders.  In particular, I would like your opinions on
whether or not it is ethical to provide PR services to the present Gambian
government.  I came across an item in O'Dwyer's Washington Report  - July 24,
2000 (http://www.odwyerpr.com/washrpt/wash.htm) that The Gambia will be paying
$500,000 to the EAW Group in Washington, DC, for PR work.

For your information, The Gambia is tiny country in West Africa, with a
population of about 1.3 million, and a per capita income of about $350 per
year.  Furthermore, the amount that the EAW Group is being paid represents just
about 0.5% of our national budget of about $100 million.  While that in and of
itself would have been enough grounds for questioning the ethics of the deal, it
is the terrible human rights record and ineptitude of the present Gambian
government that makes me write to question the ethics of EAW Group's deal.

I visited the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) site and found that the
first items in their Code of Professional Standards
(http://www.prsa.org/profstd.html) require their members to act in the public
interest, be obligated to the democratic process, and to deal fairly with the
public.  While I have not verified if the EAW Group is a PRSA Member, I think it
is fairly safe to assume that the PRSA Code of Professional Standards is broadly
accepted, and worthy of emulation, even for non-members.

In light of the above I would like to ask if it is ethical for the EAW Group to
render it's services to the present Gambian government, and especially
facilitate a planned visit to the US by the Gambian President Dr. (a honorary
title) Yahya Jammeh.  President Jammeh came to power in a military coup in July
1994, and in 1996 became President after a general election he presided over.
In the 6 years since he has been in power, many people have been killed, or died
under suspicious circumstances.

Just this past April, government security forces killed 12 people (including a
journalist) when they opened fire on students demonstrating against the rape,
and fatal beating of two of their colleagues by government officials.  To this
day, the Jammeh government is yet to make public the Coroner's report on these
killings.  It was also revealed by a former government official who fled to
neighboring Senegal earlier this month, that a former ruling Party member,
reported to have absconded was actually murdered, and secretly buried by
President Jammeh's operatives.

These killings are just a few, and the most recent in the long list of people
who have been killed or died under suspicious circumstances.  And it seems that
there will be more to come because President Jammeh earlier this week made it
categorically clear in an address to the youth wing of his Party that "anyone
who disturbs the peace and stability of the country will be buried six feet
deep" (quoted from "The Point" newspaper).

Another item in President Jammeh's record is the fact that he was named in a
case in the London High Court involving the sale of Nigerian crude oil.  Between
1996 and 1998, 20,000 barrels of Nigerian crude oil were sold, supposedly on
behalf of The Gambia, but the proceeds were diverted to a Swiss bank account.
Even though the judgement against The Gambia government is available online at
www.udpgambia.org/crdoil.htm President Jammeh continues to deny any involvement
in the deal, and just last month, the Gambian pariament rejected a motion to
look into it.

Given the above facts, I doubt if the EAW Group would be acting in the public
interest, obligated to the democratic process, and dealing fairly with the
public if it proceeds to provide it's services to the Gambian government.  I am
certain that the interests of the Gambian public will not be served by
furthering the aspirations of  Jammeh's repressive government, nor will Gambian
democracy thrive under his rule.  And Gambians all over will certainly look at
the deal as yet another example of the exploitation of this poor country by
their dictatorial President.

As you can imagine, many Gambians (including myself) are doing all they can to
put an end to the repressive rule of President Jammeh.  In this regard, we will
also be sparing no effort to wage a PR campaign against, you guessed it, the EAW
Group and others who have no qualms about helping President Jammeh polish his
image, and facilitate his foreign visits.

This e-mail is getting to be long, but please pardon me to end it on a note
about the broader aspects of PR and the ethics of representing repressive
governments.  I am sure that many of those who represent the interests of these
governments are aware of the desperate, and horrible conditions that people
under their client governments live.  And I wonder how they can go home everyday
to their families and watch the evening news with reports of atrocities
perpetrated in Africa by people the speak for or help polish their images.

Thanks so much for your indulgence!  I will appreciate any feedback, and/or
further discussion on the issues I've raised here because I think given our
increasing interdependence, it makes sense for all of us to be sensitive to each
other's aspirations.  In the end, we all want the same things for ourselves, our
families, and our countries:  freedom, peace, and prosperity.  And a free
homepage.

Sincerely,

Katim S. Touray

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