TRRC: D.A Jawo says Jammeh was resolute to do anything to silence journalists
By AMADOU MANJANG
Veteran journalist and former Minister of Information and Communication Infrastructure, Demba Ali Jawo has said that the killing of Deyda Hydara, editor and co-founder of The Point newspaper made it obvious that Jammeh would do anything possible to silence journalists.
He further pointed out that the autopsy report and the bullets extracted from Deyda Hydra’s body were never shown to either his family or the public and his death was not properly investigated.
“So we kind of employ some survival tactics. Some people couldn’t bear it and they had to leave the profession, some left the country,” he said.
Jawo who was testifying before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) said the state medias were the mouth piece of previous regime.
He said the journalists that were left in the country continue to criticize and point out the errors of the government under difficult circumstances.
He added that the oppositions couldn’t have access to the state media because the state media were pro-government.
He stated that anytime opposition was mentioned on the state media is about a negative thing.
He recalled when journalists were complaining that the Daily Observer was like an APRC bureau, where the party members frequently meet, adding that it was transformed into a structure for the ruling party.
The former head of the English desk at Africa Press Agency said to access information under the regime was very hard for journalists.
He said members of the then government don’t give information to private Medias.
He also recalled that even journalists at the private media were banned from covering events from the state house or other officials function as well,” he said.
The former editor at The Independent said journalists were operating under tense atmosphere of harassments, arrests, detains and prosecutions.
He added journalists were resilience because they have a role to play in the development of the nation and were to survive the suppression of the Jammeh administration.
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