The international Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
today in an open letter to US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, requested her
personal intervention in investigating allegations over the presence of missing
Gambian journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh in the US.
“We write to request that Mrs. Clinton investigate the
allegations by the Gambia Government that journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh is
alive and lives in the US,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director IFJ Africa Office.
Chief Ebrima Manneh, a former reporter of the
pro-government Daily Observer has been missing since 6 July 2006, following his arrest by plain clothes
police officers of the Gambia National Intelligence Agency at the newspaper’s premises in the presence of his
colleagues. He was sighted several times in the custody of state security
services.
The Inspector General of Police of the Gambia, Mr.
Yankuba Sonko, publicly disclosed on 22 May 2012 that his organisation had
received information from Interpol that Chief Ebrima Manneh was in the United
States of America.
This information was widely carried by the media but
has not been confirmed or denied neither by the US nor any independent source.
“Considering its leading role in the world with regard
to respect for the freedom of the press and democracy, we urge US
to give this request due consideration with a view to bringing to an end
a long wait for the journalist’s family and friends,” Baglo added.
For more information contact
the IFJ: 221 33 867 95 86/87
The IFJ represents more than
600.000 journalists in 134 countries