Hi folks,

I'm sorry to be bringing this topic after all this while.  I've been meaning to
write, but just never got around to it.  I am, as the saying goes, always a day
late and a Dollar short.  Please pardon me.

But before I get to the Radio One FM thing, I would like to express my sincere
thanks to Saul Khan for not only attending the ADNA meeting earlier this month
(Aug.), but also taking the time to report to the list.  He did us all a great
service by attending a meeting where a lot of organizations of substance, and
good intentions for Africa discussed issues of mutual concern.  It is also
important that Saul took the trouble to ensure that to help put the Gambia's
plight on the agenda of these organizations.  We can only hope that Saul's
attendance of the ADNA meeting will help us in our fight for the rule of law in
The Gambia.

And now the attack on Radio One.  I would first like to join the many of you who
have expressed your outrage at hearing of this yet another callous act against a
Gambian media outlet.  It is unfortunately another example of the depths to
which The Gambia is descending in terms of respect of human rights, and the rule
of law.  Coming, as it does, after the abduction of Dumo Saho, as well as the
arrest and continued detention of Mr. Saho and others, it is a reminder to all
of us of the extent to which the Jammeh government will go to subdue any and all
who they suspect is a threat to their rule.  We'll just have to keep doing all
we can, and be prepared to wage a long-term struggle to restore democracy and
the rule of law in The Gambia.  Fortunately, history is on our side.

And from all indications, we are also winning the battle for the hearts and
minds of the rest of the world in our struggle for a prosperous Gambia where the
human rights and the rule of law are respected.  When I read the posting below
from Dagmar, I called Sophie Ly, a Senegalese, and the Secretary General of
AMARC (http://www.amarc.org), the World Association of Community Broadcasters,
to inform her of the attack on Radio One FM.  I met Sophie last July in Madison
when she came her to attend the Grassroots Radio Conference (GRC).

I asked Sophie about AMARC's reaction to the death of Omar Barrow at the hands
of the Gambian security forces during the April demonstrations. She told me that
they were aware of the events, but unfortunately could not do much for someone
who was dead.  Which was the stark truth.  However, Sophie said, they were in
contact with George Christensen, the owner of Radio One, and who is in fact a
member of AMARC.

By sheer coincidence, Sophie told me when I called her on Thurs. (the attack on
Radio One was earlier that day), that she had talked to George on Wedns!  So you
can imagine how shocked she was on learning of the attack on Radio One.  I
followed our phone conversation with a e-mail which included the posting below
from Dagmar.  I also provided Sophie with Dagmar's phone number, in the event
she wanted to call her about George's condition.

Another AMARC person who I met at the GRC in Madison is Elizabeth Robinson, the
North American Representative on the AMARC Board of Directors.  I've actually
exchanged e-mails, and talked to Elizabeth well before the GRC in Madison, and
she mentioned George's name to me.  So it was nice to finally meet her in
person, and talk AMARC and general radio stuff.

I was going to contact Elizabeth also to inform her of the attack on Radio One,
but it seems that Sophie must have informed her, or she must have heard about it
from another source.  Last week, the following AMARC Alert was sent by Elizabeth
to the GRC mailing list.

----- Original Message -----
From: MichaelP <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2000 3:55 PM
Subject: [grc] AMARC Alert
>
>
>  Forwarded for Elizabeth Robinson <[log in to unmask]>
> =============================
>
> Dear Media Activists,
>
> Attacks on community radio assume many forms.  The following report
> concerns an attack on George Christiansen and Radio One in Banjul,
> The Gambia.  In addition to his work at Radio 1, George has
> championed community media in Africa and elsewhere at regional and
> international forums.  Messages of support are invaluable in these
> circumstances as are efforts to publicize such transgressions.
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Elizabeth Robinson, KCSB and AMARC
>
>
> URGENT ACTION ALERT - THE GAMBIA
>
>
> ---Original Message-----
>
> Subject: RADIO ONE FM ON FIRE
>
> AMARC condemns the brutal attack on George Christensen and Radio One,
> in Banjul, The Gambia.
> According to family, the owner and proprietor of Radio One FM,George
> Christensen escaped with
> substantial burns to his face and body when his radio station was attacked
> on the morning of thursday August 10th,  by unidentified thugs.
> Between 3.00 and 3.30am
> close to ten unidentified men armed with teargas and
> petrol(gasoline)surrounded the studios of Radio One FM on Kairaba
> Avenue in an attempt to burn the station down. The watch man raised
> an alarm and wrestled the thugs.The lights were smashed and teargas
> was used to blind
> the eyes of the occupants,after which the station was set on fire.
> The latest reports indicate that the rest of the staff on duty,
> including the DJ escaped unharmed. George Christensen was transported
> to a medical facility to receive treatment for burns he suffered
> whilst trying to put out the fire. The station stopped broadcasting
> for about 24 hours and only resumed when George Christensen was
> discharged from hospital the next day.
>
>
> Created in 1990 , Radio One is regularly on the front lines in the
> fight against government and army abuses against civil society. Radio
> One recently raised its voice to denounce the killing of 14 young
> children who were protesting against the killing of a 13 year old boy
> and the alleged rape of a 13 year old girl by fire brigade officers.
> As a result of the tense atmosphere, Radio One and George Christensen
> have received many threats over the past weeks. This culminated in
> the attack on thursday morning.
>
> George Christensen has been a member of AMARC Africa Board of
> Directors since 1997. He has been an active member involved in
> various development project in Africa and human rights battles in
> Africa and other regions of the world. He is active in many
> international fora that address the issue of freedom of expression in
> difficult political  contexts.
>
> AMARC considers the attack on Radio One a serious threat to the right
> communicate, which is an
> extension of the right to freedom of expression under which all
> journalists are protected. AMARC supports the right to communicate as
> a necessary element of effective democracies which must be protected.
> AMARC asks that
> this crime be denounced so that the perpetrators receive just punishment.
>
> Messages of support and solidarity should also be launched for Radio One.
>
>
> Send letters of support :
> Radio Radio One
> Kairaba Avenue
> Banjul, The Gambia
> Tel. : (220) 39 49 00
> Fax : (220) 39 60 71
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>
> For more information, contact AMARC
> International Secretariat, 3575 Saint-Laurent Blvd. #611, Montréal, Québec,
> H2X  2T7, Canada, tel : +514 982 03 51, fax : +514 849 71 29, e-mail:
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask], Internet:
> <http://www.amarc.org>http://www.amarc.org
> ====================
>

The above alert was especially encouraging because of it's wide distribution
(there were 120 subscribers to the GRC list, as of Aug. 17), and the fact that
it was in addition to protest letters sent out by other organizations.  In
addition to Sophie at AMARC, I called the Committee for the Protection of
Journalists (CPJ), to inform them of the attack on Radio One.  I talked to their
Executive Director, Ann Cooper, who had a staffer, Wacuka Mungai, call me back.
I gave Ms. Mungai a background about recent events in The Gambia including the
abduction and detention of Dumo Saho and others.  Along those lines, I sent her
a copy of the petition for the release of Dumo and others, as well as an updated
version of my background paper on Jammeh's rule in The Gambia.

Wacuka later wrote, to inform me that Reporters without Borders had actually
written a protest letter to the President about the attack on Radio One FM.  A
copy of that letter was forwarded a few days back by Astrid, I believe.
Furthermore, the same protest letter was forwarded
(http://www.egroups.com/message/creative-radio/1021) to the Creative Radio
mailing list, run by George Lessard in Canada.  The Creative Radio list has over
300 subscribers from all over the world, and again, was a great outlet for
informing the world about the excesses of the Jammeh government.

A few days after I talked to Ms Mungai of CPJ, she e-mailed me that they had
also sent out a protest letter to President Jammeh, denouncing the attack on
Radio One FM.  The letter is available online at:
    http://www.cpj.org/protests/00ltrs/Gambia15august00pl.html
You can, from the same page, also access the CPJ country report on press freedom
in The Gambia:
    http://www.cpj.org/attacks99/africa99/Gambia.html
Again, that CPJ has taken a stand on the matter, and expressed their outrage at
events in The Gambia is yet another proof that the world is listening, and
gradually waking up to the problems we are facing in The Gambia.  I called Ann
Cooper last week, to express my gratitude to them for their support, and she
told me how important it was that they express the fact that they were appalled
at what President Jammeh is doing.

As I mentioned earlier, I also forwarded the petition for the release of Dumo
Saho and others to Wacuka Mungai.  I have also forwarded this petition to one or
two more outlets, and will be working on contacting more people on the matter.
In this regard, I would like to say a big "Thanks" to Amadou Kabir Njie, Alpha
Robinson, Jabou Joh, and many others who have worked tirelessly to distribute
the petition, and also to all who stood up to be counted in the fight for the
rule of law in The Gambia.  In my mind, the struggle against the Jammeh
government is going to be won bit by bit, and his is a government that will not
fall down overnight, but will die a death by a thousand cuts.  The key is to
keep doing what we believe is the right thing, even if our progress is so slow
as to be unbearable sometimes.

May I also join others who have expressed their appreciation of the efforts of
the Momodou K. Ceesay and The Gambian Democratic Forum in writing letters to the
Presidents of Senegal and Nigeria.  These efforts add up, and all work toward
our common goal of a peaceful restoration of the rule of law and respect for
human rights in The Gambia.  The more the rest of the world knows about the
excesses of the Jammeh government, and concern of Gambians the world over about
events there, the more help and sympathy we will get in our efforts.

But would like to suggest that Mr. Ceesay and others share drafts of their
letters with others, before sending them out.  The reason being the their
letters refer to the firing of "Magistrate at Basse, Mr.  Boro Touray."  As far
as I know, the person concerned is called "Borry" and not "Borro", and such an
error may have been avoided by having others proof-read the letter before
sending it out.  Just a suggestion.

Another issue that comes to mind is President Jammeh's planned visit to the US.
We had a posting sent to the list some weeks back to the effect that the EAW
Group in Washington, DC had awarded a $500,000 contract to provide public
relations services for President Jammeh's visit.  One of Ebrima Ceesay's
contacts in The Gambia had written to offer that we work together on that issue,
as well as the recent decision by the IMF to approve the disbursement of $4.5
million as for The Gambia's poverty reduction and growth facility (PRGF).  To be
honest, I was depressed by the IMF decision, given that they are fully aware of
the way in which President Jammeh has reacted to allegations of corruption,
especially the case regarding the Nigerian crude oil deal.  It is totally
irresponsible on the IMF's part to turn a blind eye to these facts, and proceed
to saddle the future generations of The Gambia with even more debt.

It is precisely for this reason that I contacted the 50 Years is Enough Movement
(http://www.50years.org/index1.html), given their track record, and efforts at
fighting for the reform, if not outright abolishment of the Bretton Woods
Institutions of the IMF, and the World Bank.  I talked to Soren Ambrose and
e-mailed him, and Njoki Njoroge Njehu about the IMF's decision, along with a
link to the IMF page on The Gambia.  I will be following up with them later, to
bring them up to speed on this and other related issues about The Gambia.

For your information, you can reach the IMF page on The Gambia at:
    http://www.imf.org/external/country/gmb/index.htm
You can also access information about the PRGF program from the above link, and
find that the program makes a big deal about the importance of good governance
in their evaluation of a country's eligibility to benefiting from this program.
In approving the disbursement of the above funds to The Gambia, they have broken
their own rules, and as they would say in the trade, failed to carry out their
fiduciary responsibility toward the IMF, and it's stake holders.  And above all,
they have proven to all concerned Gambians that their judgment is not to trusted
as being in the best interest of our country.  Indeed, I have always dreamed of
the day when I will have enough money to call all these development assistance
organizations in my office, ask them how much we owe them, pay them their money,
and tell them to get out!  I pray that day comes.

Regarding the EAW Group's contract, I called their Washington, DC office at
(202) 785-4525 only to get a message from their President, John Aycoth.  I left
a message to the effect that I was a Gambian, and wanted to talk to Mr. Aycoth
about the contract awarded them by The Gambian government, but haven't yet heard
from them, even though I left my phone number.  I was wondering that it is
rather strange that I could not reach someone at a company that just won a
$500,000 contract for public relations.  What if I was a journalist arranging an
interview with President Jammeh who had paid the money for such services?

At any rate, I would appreciate if those in the DC area can take it upon
themselves to call Mr. Aycoth to ask for details of his contract with The
Gambian government.  It is, after all, our country, and we are talking about a
sum that's approximately 0.5% of our national budget.  For comparison's sake,
the 0.5% of the US budget ($1.895 trillion) for fiscal 2001 is $94.75 billion!
I don't think the US would be spending that kind of money on public relations,
and so I see no reason why President Jammeh should spend that proportion of our
national budget on just public relations for ONE trip to the US.  Or he better
tell us EXACTLY how much it is that the $500,000 would bring us.

Incidentally, the same EAW Group also was awarded a $500,000 contract by the
Democratic Republic of Congo (what's wrong with these Africans?) earlier this
year in regards President Kabila's trip to the US.  At least the Congolese can
point to a $75 million investment in their country by Chevron
(http://www.odwyerpr.com/washrpt/wash0207.htm).  Whether or not that investment
was a result of the EAW Group's work for Congo is something I don't know.

I guess that's about all for now.  This is already rather long, and I hope it
wasn't too much for all you busy people out there.  I must say that I have not
been participating on many of the debates (very bitter, in some case, from the
little I was able to read) because of lack of time, and also because some of the
issues are way over my head.  I mean, I have to struggle to read some postings
simply because the English used is so complex!  As the saying goes, when the
elephants fight, the grass suffers.  For this reason, I stay away from debates
that use language and intellect way beyond me.

Have a great week, and best wishes in your endeavors.

Katim


----- Original Message -----
From: adama jombel <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2000 7:48 AM
Subject: RADIO ONE FM ON FIRE-


> Glers,
>
> The owner and proprietor of Radio One FM,George Christensen escaped with
> substantial burns to his face and body when his radio station was attacked
> this morning by unidentified thugs.Between 3.00 and 3.30am today 8/10/2000
> close to ten unidentified men armed with teargas and

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