XX year of his accession to power: Jammeh, absolute ruler of the Gambia By Lequotidien | Lequotidien | Friday, July 18, 2014 2:56 p.m. Africa | Keywords: Gambia , Yahya Jammeh , Dictator , Africa , Human Rights Share on facebook source: Lequotidien For 20 years, he sits on the Gambia as an absolute sovereign. Members of the Gambian diaspora organizations supported by the Senegalese civil society organize to stop the violation of human rights by the regime of Yahya Jammeh. In a joint statement, they denounce the impunity that prevailed for 20 years in The Gambia. It is irremovable. In a few days the current Gambian Government has 20 years have resisted all pressures rights community of rightist. But Jammeh holds his tiny country with a firm hand. On 22 July 1994, Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh, at the head of a group of military overthrew President Daouda Diawara and came to power. Since then, the Gambia under the yoke of the military paranoid. Between violation of human rights and stalking heralds of democracy, Jammeh regent his regime a master hand. As a prelude to the twentieth anniversary of organizations defending human rights and members of civil society in Senegal and Gambia associations have signed a joint statement to denounce the repression and impunity for human rights violations committed by Jammehs regime. According to the signatories of the statement, the Gambian government tolerates no opposition and is characterized by serious and persistent violations of human rights. Defenders of human rights, journalists, political opponents and ordinary citizens against critics of government policy are subject to intimidation, harassment, death threats, arbitrary arrests, imprisonment, torture, enforced disappearances and other abuses. Among the human rights violations committed in the past 20 years, theres bloody suppression of demonstrations of students in April 2000, not yet solved the murder of journalist Deyda Haider in 2004 forced disappearance of journalist Ibrahim Mane, torture journalist Musa Saidy Kane in 2006, arbitrary nine prisoners in 2012 and the arrest and detention for five months in secret human rights defender Imam Baba Leigh same year executions. Since the advent to power of President Yahya Jammeh, the Gambian judiciary has been weakened because of the recurring executive interference and increasingly repressive laws to silence criticism and dissent. In April 2013, amendments to the Criminal Code adopted by the National Assembly increased penalties for anyone who gives false information to officials. In July 2013, a new law on the Internet warns users as well as journalists and bloggers. They are facing 15 years in prison and a fine of 3 million Dalasi (about 37 million CFA francs) they are guilty of spreading false news. Due to the violent suppression of dissent, a climate of fear settled and encourages journalists, human rights defenders and citizens to be walled in silence or to flee the country. Repression of human rightist and journalists Before these flagrant and repeated violations of human rights in this country that houses the headquarters of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR), yet the main African mechanism for the protection and promotion of human rights, the Ong Article 19 Raddho, the Coalition for Change Gambia (CCG), the Senegalese League for Human Rights, the Panos Institute West Africa, the Cicodev Duga and mobilize to stop the repression that and impunity in Gambia. For 20 years, Jammeh has not yet wavered in his chair under pressure.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 20:15:31 +0000
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