EDITORIAL
REOPEN SUD FM RADIO -JAMMEH A THREAT TO PRESS FREEDOM
Octoger 23, 2005
We condemn the recent closure of Sud Fm Banjul radio in the strongest
terms. There is no justification for such a malicious and irresponsible
move on the side of The Gambian government. Yahya Jammeh is not tolerant
to press freedom and will be more than happy to see The Gambia without a
private press.

We are kind of baffled by Neneh Madwoll Gaye's claims that the radio was
bent on spreading derogatory remarks at the hills of The Gambia/border
crisis. What derogatory remarks is Neneh talking about? Or is it that she
was asked by Jammeh to black mail the press again, as this has been their
style in recent times. This government lived and survived by lies and
deception. We will get to that later.

Neneh, there is no grain of truth about your faked assertion against our
Senegalese/Gambian colleagues. These are matured and conscious media
professionals, who execute their duties with high degree of
responsibility. If it were not the media, we will hear a different story
all together about the border crisis. It is sad that you will go all out
to lie to the BBC, just to impress your boss Yahya Jammeh.

As far as we are concerned Sud FM, is one of the most responsible radio
stations in The Gambia. This is a radio which seeks to promote divergent
views in The Gambia, which are never featured in the government controlled
press. Closing such an important radio is an affront to press freedom and
democracy. This will not tell well on the battered image of this
government, which is notorious for its hostile relationship with the
private press.

We are not surprised about Jammeh's action to shut down Sud FM. He had
always portrayed journalists as "illegal sons and daughters of Africa"
bent on painting a gloomy picture of the Continent. Mr.President, we are
more patriotic than you, who is in the business of threatening dissent and
liberties of Gambian citizens. We will remain resolute and will not be
intimidate by these routine attacks on the private media.

We at The ALLGAMBIAN are convinced that, we would have suffered the same
fate just like Sud FM radio. Our past coverages on the border crisis had
not been well received by your government. We have been called all kinds
of names, for just merely reporting the truth state of affairs regarding
The Gambia/Senegalese border crisis. Some of your supporters hiding under
the banner of pen names have the guts to call on the US police authorities
to arrest us-because they feel that some of the news items we published
should not be published.

Hear this disgruntled Jammeh supporter in this unedited message sent to
our forum site"Here is a tipical artickle from this Panderi and his
friends. How can you sit in Britain and belive in such things. This is
very serious because people should come forward and say the truth.
Otherwise this newspaper is just another forum for idel Gambians to post
their imarginary artickles. This papper should be monitored or even
sensored for some of its artickles. There is aa electronic law that can be
used to stop such things. Otherwise certain measures will be taken to stop
such nonsens newspapper.It is the job of the police to deal with such
people. Otherwise you people who post such artickles are most unhonest. If
Pa Nderri is a truthful person, he should always dobble check. The world
is changing and one never knows were one is going to meet. I belive the
observer correspondent in the Gambia is a gost."

The writer as he called himself as Alhassan, I say go ahead and championed
the necessary legislation that will order for the closure of ALLGAMBIAN.
We had series of similar hate mails sent to us privately, which we could
publish here for all to see. We will not be intimidated by enemies of
freedom bent on undermining our cherished peace in The Gambia. The
ALLGAMBIAN is aware of Jammeh's ill intentions against our news medium,
but we will remain to be steadfast. Come rain, come shine, we are here to
stay.

Back to the Sud FM closure, we urge our colleagues to sue the government
to court for taking such an undemocratic move. Even though our legal
system is not independent, such a case should be documented on judicial
records for the purpose of posterity. This government had perpetrated all
kinds of atrocities against the private media.

By this editorial, we are urging all press freedom defenders across the
globe to join us in condemning the unconstitutional closure of Sud FM
Banjul. The decision taken by The Gambian authorities to close Sud FM
radio, is a flagrant violation of our 1997 constitution. The radio had not
threaten National security as Nenneh want us to believe. It is Yahya and
his government who are threatening our cherished peace and not Sud FM.

It is our contention that, in the absence of a court order, the government
have no rights whatsoever to close a private radio station. We therefore
ask for the immediate reopening of Sud FM radio. Let the rule of prevail
in The Gambia. Yahya's jungle law busniess should stop in the interest of
fair play and justice. Yahya stop the attacks on the media. Remember that
a day will come, you will be held responsible for the crimes you waged
against the media. Take note of this Jammeh. We rest our case.


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