Breaking News:Journalist Chief Manneh might as well be killed by the Jammeh gov't!!

Where is Journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh?

A year ago today, 11 July 2007, Chief Ebrima B. Manneh, a reporter for the "Daily Observer", Banjul-Based pro-government newspaper was arrested and detained by the Gambian National Intelligence Agency (NIA). Since then he has "disappeared" with the Gambian Security agencies and police claiming they do not know his whereabouts.

Manneh "disappeared" a week after the 11 July, 2006 African Union (AU) Heads of State summit in Banjul . Colleagues of Manneh witnessed his arrest by two plainclothes officers of the NIA at the premises of the "Daily Observer". He was suspected to have passed "damaging" information to a foreign journalist prior to the summit.

The NIA and other security agencies have consistently denied keeping him. For the first time in eight months after his arrest, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ebrima Bah released a press statement saying that, "Manneh was not detained at any station". However, at the beginning of 2007, the NIA claimed to have released all detainees they claimed were in their custody, but Manneh was not one of them.

Some Gambian observers allege that the "disappearance" of Manneh could mean he has been either murdered or been so brutally tortured so much so that his captors fear releasing him would prove evidence of their brutalities.

Since the government announced an alleged coup d'etat in March 2006, a number of people, including journalists, lawyers, other civilians and soldiers have been detained without charge.

MFWA has filed suit at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court in Abuja , Nigeria . against the government of President Yahya Jammeh for Chief Manneh's release at The Community Court will sit on July 16, 2007 for hearing.

Issued by the MFWA, Accra . July10, 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

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