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| President Yahya Jammeh said "the two institutions are urged to operate
within the framework of the laws governing the media in this country." (Photo Credit: Wikipedia) |
The President of The Gambia, Yahya
Jammeh, has lifted the ban on two privately-owned media houses, The Standard newspaper
and Taranga FM (radio) on December
31, 2013, while a third newspaper, The Daily News, that was shut along with the two
remained closed.
At the time, the proprietors of the
media houses said no reason was given for the forceful shutdown.
In a press release via State media, the Office of the President
said it
is pleased to inform the general public that the ban on [The] Standard
newspaper and Taranga FM has been lifted with immediate effect.
According
to the presidency, the move is “a goodwill gesture for the New Year [2014]” but
they must continue to operate in a media environment which is regarded
“hostile” and under media laws that rights groups say are “draconian.”
“They
are free to operate but the two institutions are urged to operate
within the framework of the laws governing the media in this country,” the
presidential statement stated. “We wish all media houses and the general public
a happy new year.”
Taranga, a community radio which
broadcasts on the FM band 97.5, was closed on August 14, 2012 following a raid
on its offices by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). Similarly, The Standard and The Daily News were arbitrarily closed, without any court order
exactly a month later, on September 14, 2012.
Rights
groups said the closure of the three media houses brings undue interference in
press freedom and freedom of expression and deprived Gambians of their rights
to know and to have access to information.
Prior
to its closure, Taranga FM (The voice
echoing from Kombo North) had been running daily news broadcasts known as Xibari Besbi (news of the day) in local
languages (Wolof and Mandinka) for the benefit of the vast majority of
uneducated Gambians.
Situated
at Sinchu Alhagie village, Kombo North District, south-west of The Gambian
capital, Banjul, Taranga was earlier closed for up to a month in 2011 and
ordered by the authorities to stop its news review of “opposition newspapers.”
At the time, the privately-owned radio was running a very popular daily
broadcast reviewing content on local English-language newspapers.
The Standard, a daily English-language
newspaper and The Daily News, a tri-weekly English-language publication, were
closed while covering sensitive political issues including the August 2012
execution of nine death row inmates by The Gambia Government.
Both
newspapers provided the platform for pro and anti government views on the
executions and other critical national issues – traits required of independent
and impartial journalism. Following the closure, The Daily News halted its
print version but continues to publish online.
Taranga
FM is owned by Ismaila Ceesay, also a proprietor of Insight Training
Centre, The Standard by senior journalist
Sheriff Bojang and The Daily News by Madi MK Ceesay, a press freedom award
winning senior journalist.
Written by Modou S. Joof
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