Since stealing power in 1994, the Gambian leader has made life difficult for anyone wishing to express discontent for his rule.
The Gambia is Africa's smallest nation but it has made big headlines in 2007. Gambian president, Yahya Jammeh, recently went public with his curative power . His Excellency claims he can restore health to those afflicted with HIV/AIDS and asthma. For those who are unfamiliar with this leader, here is a small profile highlighting some interesting facts about The Gambia's leader.
Taking power
Yahya Jammeh assumed power in 1994 in a coup d'etat, the preferred method for many an African leader. Before Jammeh seized control, The Gambia was one of Africa's oldest multi-party democracies. Although Jammeh eventually allowed elections two years later, political restrictions were imposed upon deposed government officials, who were banned from running until 2001.
Limited freedoms for journalists
President Jammeh has been also criticized for his restrictions on freedom of the press, The Gambia amended their laws in 2004 to ensure that those found guilty of sedition or libel would serve long sentences for their comments. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) have both articulated their concern for the unjust treatment of independent journalists who have paid the price for expressing their disapproval of the government's repressive legislation.
Jammeh once said of critical journalists that he believed in "giving each fool a long rope to hang themselves" and also threatened to bury them "six-feet deep." The unsolved murder of editor Deyda Hydara is a case deserving of greater attention. Hydara was a campaigner who voiced his opposition to the president's draconian measures. He was killed in December 2004 but no serious investigation has been launched by the Gambian authorities. A letter from CPJ also calls for the government to explain the disappearance of Ebrima B. Manneh, a journalist who was arrested by authorities in July 2006 but has not been seen since.
