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Gambia News : Media watch group wants Jammeh tried for human rights abuses

The Accra-based Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) specifically mentioned the July 2005 gruesome murder of some 50 West African nationals, inclu ding 44 Ghanaians, who were arrested in the Gambia while on their way to board a vessel to Europe.

MFWA Executive Directo Kwame Karkari, who read out decisions taken during a two- day meeting in Accra, said the Foundation also took a serious view of media repr e ssion in the Gambia.

He said apart from going to the ICC, the group would also use several means in i ts campaign to apply pressure on President Jammeh.

Karikari said the campaign targeted at President Jammeh and members of his gover nment and families would include a tourist boycott of their businesses, visa and  travel ban and cessation of foreign assistance to the military and law enforceme n t agencies.

They also planned to organise protests and rallies against the Gambian authoriti es in their diplomatic missions in West Africa, he said.

The campaign against Jammeh would also be carried out on African Human Rights Da y, International Human Rights Day and other major meetings in sub-regional and i n ternational bodies.

Karikai said MFWA would establish various networks and work with other regional and international human rights organisations for the purpose of implementing its activities.

He urged African Union Chairman, Ghana's President John Kufuor, to step up press ure on Jammeh to respect the rights of his nationals and other Africans living i n Gambia.

He also announced plans by the Foundation to mobilise the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Authority of the Heads of State and Cou r t of Justice to ensure that the Gambia government is compelled to end human righ t s abuses.

Several rights groups have criticized the Gambian leader for his lack of coopera tion to investigate the murders.

Several delegations sent by the Ghana government to investigate the murders got cold response to their requests to the Gambia government to respond to the charg es and aid investigations into the matter.

The victims of the 2005 murders were alleged to have been arrested while on thei r way to Europe by sea through Gambia. They were allegedly accused of attempting to overthrow the Jammeh regime and e xecuted in cold blood on the orders of the Gambia leader. One survivor, Ghanaian Kwame Kyere, 28, revealed how his colleagues were murdered.