Senegambia News

The Gambia UPDATE: Newspaper journalist accused of criminal defamation makes first appearance in court

Published 01/25/2012 - 6:11 p.m. GMT

Mamadou S. Jallow, a reporter for the privately-owned Daily News on January 24, 2012 made his first appearance in court to answer criminal defamation charges allegedly made against Mamadou Lamin Baldeh, a local chief in western Gambia.

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Press Release: STGDP has elected a new Executive for 2012!

Published 01/25/2012 - 5:35 a.m. GMT

In accordance with the organizational by-laws, the general membership of Save the Gambia Democracy Project (STGDP) elected a Management Committee to run the affairs of the organization for the next two years on Saturday January 21, 2012.

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Cross-border telephone remittances increase in Africa

Published 01/24/2012 - 10:56 p.m. GMT

More people in Africa’s poorest countries have mobile phones than have bank accounts. That reality is spurring mobile service companies to explore how they can capture a share of the potential banking market by enabling migrants from these countries to transfer funds back home

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UDP Minority Leader Wants Jammeh Forced Out by Parliamentary Vote

Published 01/22/2012 - 4:01 p.m. GMT

Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh

Kiang West National Assembly Member and Minority leader, Momodou Lamin Sanneh, has promised that a UDP dominated legislature will remove president Yahya Jammeh from power by a vote of no convidence.

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Gambia: Life sentence for distributing anti-government t-shirts violates free speech

Published 01/20/2012 - 11:36 p.m. GMT

Banjul, The Gambia--- ARTICLE 19 is appalled by the conviction and prison sentence handed to Amadou Scattred Janneh, a former Minister of Information and Communication, and six others, for distributing t-shirts calling for democratic change in the Gambia. ARTICLE 19 urges the Gambian courts to quash the conviction of Janneh and his co-accused and release them immediately.

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MFWA condemns judicial system in Gambia following ex-minister's life sentence

Published 01/20/2012 - 8:23 p.m. GMT

President Jammeh confers with Algerian President in Dakar last month (AP photo)

Gambian dictator President Jammeh (Photo: AP)

The West African media monitorig organisation, MFWA, has condemned the judicial system in the Gambia for "imposing unjust prison sentences on Dr. Janneh and three others who did no wrong by asking Gambians to end the authoritarian regime".

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Senegal UPDATE: Jailed opposition activist receives presidential pardon

Published 01/20/2012 - 8:21 p.m. GMT

Malick Noel Seck, an opposition youth activist in Senegal, was on January 11, 2012 given a presidential pardon, three months after his conviction on two counts of “contempt of court” and “insulting” President Abdoulaye Wade.

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Sierra Leone ALERT: Police violently assault radio journalist

Published 01/20/2012 - 8:18 p.m. GMT

Allieu Sesay, a broadcast journalist working with Freetown-based Radio Democracy,was reportedly assaulted on January 15, 2012 and briefly detained by some policemen drawn from

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Amnesty Int'l Demands Immediate Release of Dr. Janneh

Published 01/19/2012 - 5:24 p.m. GMT

President Yahya Jammeh bent on silencing independent media

Every thing has an end, and the world is watching, Mr. Jammeh.

Amnesty International today called for the immediate release of four activists arrested over the distribution of T-shirts calling for an end to dictatorship in the Gambia.

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Ex-information Minister Sentenced to Life in Prison

Published 01/18/2012 - 7:57 p.m. GMT

Dr. Jammeh is believed to be held at Mile 2 central prison

Dr Amadou Scrattred Janneh sentenced to life in prison.

A Nigerian High Court judge in the Gambia, Justice Emmanuel Nkea, has sentenced the country's former information minister to life in prison following his conviction of treason on Tuesday.

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CCG, CSAG Condenm Dr Janneh's Conviction

Published 01/18/2012 - 4:25 a.m. GMT

Dr. Janneh is sentenced to life in prison by the High Court on January 17, 2012.

The Coalition for Change The Gambia and Civil Society Associations Gambia vehemently denounce and condemn the guilty verdict, conviction and life imprisonment, today of Dr Amadou Scattred Janneh and three others, namelyModou Keita, Ebrima Jallow, Micheal

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The Gambia: Dr. Amadou S. Janneh and Co.; the closing argument

Published 01/16/2012 - 11:00 p.m. GMT

Judgment is set for Tuesday, Jan.17 for Dr. Jammeh and co-accused persons. The former minister is charged with treason for printing t-shirts demanding an 'end to dictatorship'.

Now the trial has ended and the verdict of the court is upon us, and what is still not clear to any Gambian is what exactly is treasonous and seditious in what CCG members have done. The formation of political associations and printing and giving out t-shirts with political messages on them represent CCG member’s political opinions that;

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NEPAD on the ground

Published 01/16/2012 - 9:20 p.m. GMT

Over the past 10 years, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) has launched a number of bold and innovative programmes. In some instances the plan is already scoring notable yet underreported gains. Africa Renewal highlights NEPAD’s impact in five key areas.

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Norway: Reminiscing of a time long gone

Published 01/15/2012 - 7:27 a.m. GMT

I picked up the phone and dialed. It rang twice. A subdued voice came alive from the other end. Hello, the voice said. Even after more than thirty years, the crisp voice sounded familiar. Hi, I replied. This is Mathew Jallow. Do you remember me, I asked? There was a second’s pause that seemed to last forever, then a loud burst of surprised laughter. Mathew, the voice

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Gambia ALERT: Newspaper journalist charged with criminal defamation

Published 01/11/2012 - 7:56 p.m. GMT

Mamadou S. Jallow, a reporter of privately-owned The Daily News newspaper is facing criminal defamation charges, for allegedly defaming Mamadou Lamin Baldeh, a local chief in the western part of The Gambia.

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Gambia: the “Diaspora summit” that was more bluster than substance

Published 01/07/2012 - 6:25 p.m. GMT

Fatou Bensouda, ICC prosecutor (Photo: The Hague Justice Portal)

ICC's new Chief Prosecutor under fire for collaborating with one of Africa's most brutal dictators

The so-called Diaspora summit idea, first heralded as groundbreaking, soon descended into an abyss of paralyzing doubt and lethal skepticism; foiled primarily by an extremely hostile and antagonistic dissident movement. The meeting which began with high expectations, ended instead with a thud; overshadowed by rumors about Yahya Jammeh’s seeming disappearance

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The Gambia: Just where is Yahya Jammeh; who cares anyway

Published 01/04/2012 - 6:50 p.m. GMT

Yahya Jammeh in Silver Spring, Maryland 1999 (Photo: Seventh Day Adventist)

Look; it is a mannequin; no it is a statue; no it is a scarecrow; no it is Yahya Jammeh. Over the past couple of days, the Washington, DC and New York City areas have been abuzz with false sighting of Yahya Jammeh and his military entourage; days filled with frustrating guesses and disappointing anticipation. It was like a game of wits fraught with intoxicating

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Mathew K Jallow’s research work in university textbook and library references

Published 01/03/2012 - 8:23 p.m. GMT

Mathew K. Jallow, Associate Editor, The Gambia Echo

Mathew K. Jallow, Gambian journalist, author and rights activist.

A new university text and library reference book on Africa titled; Africa: Opposing Viewpoints is out in paperback and hardcover print. The book, a compilation of the research

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CSAG Says No to President Jammeh's Diaspora Conference

Published 01/03/2012 - 6:21 a.m. GMT

Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara gives a press conference at the foreign ministry in Dakar on January 4, 2010. (Photo: Daylife.com)

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Senegal Election

"Amnesty International welcomes the Senegalese government's decision last night to lift the ban it imposed on public demonstrations.

"Amnesty International calls on political leaders on all sides to ensure that their supporters do not resort to violence. Security forces also have the obligation to act in full respect of human rights. Only in this way can the 2012 presidential election proceed without the country descending into violence."

Senegal Opposition Rallies Ahead of Ruling on President’s Re-election Bid

Hundreds of opposition protesters chanted and marched through the streets of Dakar, ahead of a Senegalese high court ruling on whether President Abdoulaye Wade can seek a third term.

President Obama's State of the Union address -- full text of prepared remarks

Here is the State of the Union speech as prepared for delivery by President Barack Obama on Tuesday night before a joint session of Congress:

Gambia, Benin presidents eye Africa Union headship

New Audio Tapes From Demba Baldeh:

- Conversation with Kaaba Joof, President of AGAA

- Conversation with Burama Jammeh, founder, PMDG

Motion S4M-01460: Humza Yousaf, Glasgow, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 01/12/2011

Fear Rules in Gambia

That the Parliament expresses concern at what it considers the dire human rights situation in Gambia; understands that the Gambian Government refuses to abide by its international human rights obligations, with cases of enforced disappearance remaining unresolved, perpetrators of unlawful killings not being brought to justice and torture still widely used by security forces; further understands that those who report such abuses, particularly in the media, are in grave danger, and expresses solidarity with the human rights defenders of Gambia, many of whom have been granted asylum in Scotland, in their struggle for basic human rights.

Supported by: Adam Ingram, Colin Beattie, John Finnie, David Torrance, Kevin Stewart, Kenneth Gibson, Dennis Robertson, Bill Kidd, Joe FitzPatrick, Willie Coffey, George Adam, Mike MacKenzie, Gil Paterson, Richard Lyle, Annabelle Ewing, Mark McDonald, Bob Doris, Elaine Smith, Dave Thompson, Roderick Campbell, Margaret Burgess, Linda Fabiani, Graeme Pearson, Jean Urquhart, Jamie Hepburn, Paul Wheelhouse.

Editorials & Commentaries

Yahya Jammeh in Silver Spring, Maryland 1999

Guest Editorial

Mathew K. Jallow, Mathew K. Jallow, an erudite writer, journalist and an activist

The Talking Point

Judgment is set for Tuesday, Jan.17 for Dr. Jammeh and co-accused persons. The former minister is charged with treason for printing t-shirts demanding an 'end to dictatorship'.

Latest News

UDP Minority Leader Wants Jammeh Forced Out by Parliamentary Vote

01/22/2012 - 4:01 p.m. GMT

Kiang West National Assembly Member and Minority leader, Momodou Lamin Sanneh, has promised that a UDP dominated legislature will remove president Yahya Jammeh ...