Gambia News: Freedom Newspaper Blocked online

Mar 17,2008 by

For the past two weeks, Gambians have been unable to access the Freedom Newspaper, an online Gambia newspaper based in United States of America, which has been very critical of the administration of President Yahya Jammeh.

The Freedom Newspaper, which can be accessed outside the boundaries of The Gambia, is accusing the country’s telecommunication company, GAMTEL, of blocking the websites’ IP-address, following a story it carried about the company.

The newspaper on March 9, 2008 reported that due to mismanagement, the state-run GAMTEL was at the brink of total bankruptcy.

This is not the first time that the Freedom Newspaper has been attacked by the Gambian authorities. On May 22, 2006, the Freedom Newspaper and ALL Gambian, another online newspaper were blocked for their criticism of the regime, following the hacking of the Freedom website. After this, the pro-government, Daily Observer newspaper published personal details including names and phones numbers of a number of Gambians who had allegedly been sending damaging information to the online newspaper.

Five journalists were arrested and detained for several days without trial before being released. Omar Bah, then news editor of the Daily Observer, escaped into exile, when he was declared wanted for his contributions to the website.

Under the regime of President Yahya Jammeh, the Gambian media has suffered great oppression. Critics of the authorities are systematically pressured into withholding their views, and journalists criticizing the government are often forced into exile. In addition, a reporter, Chief Ebrima Manneh, has been ‘missing’ since July 11, 2006, and on December 16, 2004, the Editor in Chief of The Point, Deyda Hydara, was gunned down by unknown assailants.

Src: MFWA

Comment on This Gambia News (2 posted) 284 times read

Hello Fatou, Censoring of the press can never be justified in a free & democratic society. The press acts as the fundamental backbone of democracy, and blocking that just undermines the principles upon which democracy is built on. It doesnt matter how unjournalistic that website may be, what matters is their right to excercise without fear, intimidation or being blocked from the mass. thank you . Steve . Coventry, UK
(Posted on March 17, 2008, 2:14 PM Steve Riley)

that website talk so much nonesense. i glad that they block it. gambians dont need to read his utter made up stories. i suport the government . we dont need this. fatou njie serrekuna
(Posted on March 17, 2008, 2:12 PM Fatou Njie)