By Winifred Bulus
An arrest warrant has been handed for the arrest of two army officers in Gambia for allegedly shooting a journalist –Deyda Hydara in 2004.
The warrant is for Sanna Manjang and Kawsu Camara, who were said to have be absent from the country as at the time of the issuance of the arrest warrant.
Hydara who had been shot dead in 2004 was before his death was a co-founder and managing editor of a local Newspaper called (The Point) and a correspondent for ‘Agence France Presse’ and ‘Reporters without Borders.
He was also an advocate of press freedom and a fierce critic of the government of then President Yahya Jammeh, who was openly hostile to Gambian journalists and the media.
On 14 December 2004, the Gambia passed two new media laws. One, the Criminal Code (Amendment) Bill 2004, which allowed prison terms for defamation and sedition.
The other law was that the Newspaper (Amendment) Bill 2004, which required newspaper owners to purchase expensive operating licenses, registering their homes as security.
Hydara announced his intent to challenge these laws, but on 16 December, he was assassinated by an unknown gunman while driving home from work in Banjul. Two of his colleagues were injured. It was believed that the act was carried out by the then government of Yahya Jammeh.
Gambia’s information minister earlier this month declared his intention of bringing to book crimes committed under the country’s former President, Yahya Jemmah.
Rights groups say Jammeh oversaw a regime accused of torturing and killing opponents, including journalists. Jammeh flew into exile in January after losing elections.
