Press Statement

MFWA sues government of Gambia at the ECOWAS Court over “disappeared” 
journalist

The Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African 
States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, Nigeria has issued a hearing notice for a suit 
filed against the Republic of Gambia by the Media Foundation for West Africa 
(MFWA) on behalf of a “disappeared” Gambian journalist, Chief Ebrima Manneh, 
reporter of pro-government Banjul-based “Daily Observer” newspaper.

This follows an application filed on behalf of the journalist by MFWA 
through its Journalists’ Legal Defence Programme. The application seeks an 
order from the sub-regional court to compel the government of President 
Yahya Jammeh to immediately release Chief Manneh and compensate him 
adequately.

The court has fixed July 10, 2007 for the hearing. The date coincides with 
the eve of the first anniversary of Manneh’s arrest and incarceration. 
Colleagues of Manneh witnessed his arrest by two plain-clothed personnel of 
the notorious political police, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), at 
the “Daily Observer’s” premises on July 11, 2006. But the government and 
police claim they do not know the whereabouts of Manneh. Simply he is 
“disappeared”.

The writ, filed by Nigerian human rights lawyer Femi Falana, a member of the 
MFWA Legal Defence Network said that the arrest of Manneh without warrant 
and his continual detention is unlawful and a violation of his right as 
guaranteed under Articles 4, 5 and 7 of the African Charter on Human and 
People’s Rights. It also violates Article 6 of the African Charter on Human 
and Peoples Rights which guarantees his right to personal liberty.

The Gambian government has blatantly refused several requests from human 
rights groups to either release or charge Manneh if he has committed any 
offence.

In a reaction to the continuous demands for the release of Manneh, the 
Gambia Police Force,   after eight months of the journalist’s disappearance, 
on 21 February 2007 officially denied ever arresting him and urged the 
general public to furnish it with any "relevant" information about him.
MFWA sources have indicated earlier that, after his arrest, Manneh was 
detained variously at the NIA Headquarters, Mile Two Central Prisons, 
Kartong Police Station, Sibanor Police Station, Kuntaur Police Station and 
then at Fatoto Police Station where he was last spotted after 188 days 
incommunicado.

Gambian media practitioners have been subjected to unlawful arrests, 
detentions, murder, and closure of newspapers resulting in several 
journalists escaping into exile. Those within are practicing self-censorship 
as a means of protection.

The MFWA and the Network of African Freedom of Expression Organizations 
(NAFEO) have launched a campaign to end the impunity and attacks on free 
expression in Gambia, and have published a 63-page dossier of press freedom 
abuses since President Jammeh came to power in 1994.

Issued by the MFWA, Accra June 20, 2007.

The MFWA is a regional independent, non-profit, non-governmental 
organization based in Accra. It was founded in 1997 to defend and promote 
the rights and freedom of the media and all forms of expression.





Kwame Karikari, Prof.

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel:       233-21-24 24 70

Fax:      233-21-22 10 84

Email: [log in to unmask]

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