(MFWA/IFEX) – On 8 September 2006, Dodou Sanneh, a journalist working with the state-owned Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS), was arrested and detained at a secret location by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) for alleged biased reporting. According to a MFWA-Gambia source, on 13 September Sanneh was released and also relieved of his post. […]
(MFWA/IFEX) – On 8 September 2006, Dodou Sanneh, a journalist working with the state-owned Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS), was arrested and detained at a secret location by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) for alleged biased reporting.
According to a MFWA-Gambia source, on 13 September Sanneh was released and also relieved of his post.
The source said Sanneh was arrested while covering the election campaigns of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), the National Reconciliation Party (NRP), and the Gambia People’s Democratic Party Alliance.
Meanwhile, the pro-government “Daily Observer” newspaper has reported Sanneh’s reinstatement at the GRTS.
The rules of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) governing the elections require contending parties be given airtime on the national broadcaster on a daily basis. As a result, reporters from both the national radio and television stations were dispatched to cover the campaigns of the three candidates vying for the presidency.
Sanneh is the third journalist to be arrested in recent times by the NIA. “Chief” Ebrima B. Manneh of the pro-government “Daily Observer” has been in detention since July 11 (see IFEX alerts of 19 and 17 July 2006) while Malick Mboob, formerly of the “Daily Observer”, has been in the NIA’s custody since May 26 (see IFEX alerts of 11 July and 30 May 2006).
Since March, the press freedom situation in The Gambia has deteriorated.
The government has forcibly shut down the Banjul-based bi-weekly newspaper “The Independent”, arrested and tried one of its reporters, detained at least 10 other journalists and forced some into exile (see IFEX alerts of 4 September, 1 August, 20, 19, 18, 17 July 2006 and others).
