The leadership of the
Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the African group of the International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ), today met Gambian Justice Minister Edward
Gomez to demand that his government break its silence over the whereabouts of
journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh who disappeared in 2006.
The FAJ President Omar
Faruk Osman and his Vice President Foster Dongozi challenged the minister, who
is also the government's Attorney General, to reveal where the missing
journalist is following the minister's recent declaration that Chief Manneh is
alive.
Minister Gomez claimed that
his government is a victim of a smear campaign designed to ‘tarnish its image'.
He accused Manneh of "stage-managing his disappearance for mischievous
reasons." He alleged that Chief Manneh left the country and the government has
evidence from Interpol that the journalist went to the US but he did not specify
the destination city.
"We challenged the minister
to provide the evidence from Interpol and he promised to make it available to
us during this session," said Omar Faruk Osman, FAJ President. "Until we
receive and verify the alleged Interpol report, we shall maintain our demand to
the Gambian government for the release of Chief Manneh."
The meeting took place in
Banjul on the sidelines of the ongoing NGO Forum, which is preceding the 50th
Ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights
(ACHPR).
Members of African human
rights community attended the meeting between minister Gomez and the leaders of
FAJ and witnessed the exchanges during their discussions.
For
more information, please call FAJ on: +2206182726
FAJ
represents over 50.000 members in 44 African countries