Thursday, 04 July 2013
PRESS RELEASE:
YJAG Concerned Over
Safety And Security of Former President Assan Sallah
 |
| Mr Sallah has not been seen in public since June 26, 2013 (Photo Credit: Sallah/Facebook) |
The Young Journalists Association of The Gambia
(YJAG) is deeply concerned over the safety and security of our colleague,
member and former President Assan Sallah, also a News Editor at the Daily
Observer Newspaper.
Mr Sallah reportedly went missing since Wednesday,
June 26, 2013. His whereabouts is not known, according to his colleagues at
work, who told YJAG that Mr Sallah last reported for work last Wednesday.
Family sources have also told YJAG that they have
not heard from Mr. Sallah and could not reach him on phone since last week.
However, according to media reports, Sallah
reportedly “fled to Senegal or is under arrest”.
In any case, YJAG is calling on The Government of
The Gambia, whose mandate it is to protect lives and properties of all citizens,
to try to launch an investigation on the whereabouts of the young journalist.
We are demanding that the government tells the
public whether Mr Sallah is actually under arrest and if so why? And also if he
had fled the country we also want to know matters leading to him leaving the
country.
Equally, YJAG is also calling on his employer the
Daily Observer Company Ltd (where he was last seen by his colleagues) to
endeavour to bring to light Sallah’s ordeal, and to clarify reports of his purported
“imminent sacking”.
YJAG, whose mandate it is to protect and promote the
welfare of young journalists in the country, is in solidarity with the Sallah’s
family during this difficult moment.
In February 2013, Mr Sallah was arrested, detained
overnight and grilled by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) in connection
to an earlier arrest of Alagie Jobe, a Deputy Editor-In-Chief of the Daily
Observer who is currently under trial on multiple charges including sedition.
On July 7, 2006, Daily Observer journalist Chief
Ebrima Manneh went missing after he was reportedly arrested by officials of the
NIA. The government has since denied holding him and his whereabouts remains
unknown seven years on.
For more info please contact:
Modou S. Joof, President of YJAG +220
3629120
Lamin Jahateh, Secretary General of YJAG
+220 6295902
Email: youngjournalists07@gmail.com
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