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