VZCZCXRO0507
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHJL #0269/01 1221008
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 021008Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY BANJUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6622
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000269 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KMCA GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: INDEPENDENT STILL SHUT; GM DETAILS 
PRISON ABUSE 
 
REF: A. A. BANJUL 193 
     ¶B. B. BANJUL 203 C. BANJUL 249 
 
BANJUL 00000269  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. The General Manager of the journal,"The 
Independent", Madi Ceesay, met with DCM and Poloff on April 
27 to advise us of the ongoing closure of the journal by the 
GOTG and to make us aware of the torture that he and others 
have experienced while in detention. Ceesay was detained from 
March 27 to April 20 along with Musa Saidykan, 
Editor-in-Chief of the journal. Lamin Fatty, a reporter for 
the journal remains in detention. Ceesay provided photos of 
his back, bearing scars that he reports came from beatings 
with cables and branches.  He was released on April 20 on 
bond, although he has not been charged with any crime.  He 
does not wish this information to be made public at this 
time.  As of May 2, the newspaper remains closed.  Embassy 
will continue to press GOTG to permit "The Independent" to 
resume publication as well as to ensure that abuse of 
detainees is halted and those responsible brought to account. 
   END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C)  Ceesay, along with Editor-in-Chief Musa Saidykhan, 
was arrested and the offices of his newspaper were closed by 
security forces on March 27 (ref A). Ceesay and Saidykhan 
were both released on April 20 under the impression that they 
could resume publishing.  However, when they attempted to 
re-start operations police took over their offices and 
ordered everyone to leave the premises.  Ceesay has pressed 
various officials to be allowed to resume publication.  At 
this point, he is not clear on what unit of the GOTG is 
blocking the reopening of the journal.  NOTE: Ambassador has 
raised the state of "The Independent" and its detained 
personnel with senior GOTG officials on various occasions and 
will continue to do so.  Most recently, on April 27, 
Ambassador raised this issue with Interior Minister Baboucarr 
Jatta, urging that authorities permit the journal's prompt 
resumption of publication and ensure due process for detained 
journalist Lamin Fatty.  Jatta responded "I have your message 
and will look into this", but would not elaborate.  END NOTE. 
 
 
¶3.  (C) Regarding his experience while in detention, Ceesay 
reported that his first few days of detention were spent 
incommunicado at the Banjul police station.  He was then 
transferred with Mr. Saidykhan to the detention cells at the 
National Intelligence Agency (NIA).  While being held at NIA, 
Ceesay and Saidykhan were awakened in the middle of the night 
on two occasions, brought to a back area of the NIA compound, 
stripped and beaten with cables and thorny branches.  Ceesay 
also reported being shocked or stunned with an electric 
device. He reported that Saidykhan's arm was broken when he 
tried to escape the beatings.  Regarding the motives behind 
the detentions and beatings, Ceesay reports that during the 
beatings he was constantly asked "Who was your source?" in 
relation to a March 24 article in the "Independent" that 
listed the names of persons detained in the aftermath of the 
aborted coup of March 21.  Lamin Fatty, who remains in 
detention was the author of that article. 
 
¶4.  (C)  According to Ceesay, a group of military officials 
carried out the late-night beatings under the command of Army 
2nd Lieutenant Musa Jammeh, who is currently assigned to the 
Presidential Guard.  Ceesay reported that the security staff 
at NIA were very upset by the beatings.  After Lt. Jammeh's 
team would leave, the security guards would help Ceesay and 
Saidykhan dress their wounds and were visibly shaken by what 
was happening.  Ceesay further reported that the security 
guards would always document the arrival of Lt. Jammeh's team 
and call their superiors on the phone to report what was 
happening.   NOTE: 2nd Lt.Jammeh (not a known relation to the 
President) is well-known to Embassy sources.  According to 
other reliable sources, Lt. Jammeh serves on the President's 
security detail and has a reputation for cruelty.  END NOTE. 
 
 
¶5. (C)  In separate conversation with Ambassador, Ceesay 
indicated that authorities' action against "The Independent" 
and its personnel may have been in response to the journal's 
publication - erroneously - of the name of one alleged 
detainee in particular, former Interior Minister Samba Bah; 
the paper subsequently retracted, with apology, its 
publication of Bah's name among detainees.  COMMENT.  Given 
what appears to be President Jammeh's determination to ferret 
out all those connected in any way to the failed plot, it may 
well be that authorities suspected the journal of having 
secret sources in the security apparatus providing 
 
SIPDIS 
information -- not always correct -- on detainees and were 
determined to flush out that source.  The journal's hard-line 
opposition to Jammeh may also have been a factor in the 
 
BANJUL 00000269  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
GOTG's crackdown on the paper.  We note, in this respect, 
that the country's other privately owned journals have also 
publicized names of detainees, but have been allowed to 
continue publishing.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
¶6. (C) "The Independent" remains closed and under guard, and 
Ceesay continues to press for its opening.  He is not sure 
what his future plans are, but if "The Independent" is not 
allowed to reopen, he will continue on with his 
responsibilities as President of the Gambia Press Union 
(GPU).  At this time he is telling those who ask, including 
reporters, that he was not mistreated while in detention, 
because he has been threatened with re-arrest if he does not 
keep silent.  Aside from Saidykhan and Fatty, Ceesay did not 
see the other detainees, most of whom are believed to be in 
detention at a separate facility, Mile Two Prison.  He did 
report hearing what he judged to be screams of other 
detainees being beaten at night. 
 
¶7. (C) COMMENT: As previously reported (ref C), claims of 
torture of detainees surfaced promptly after the coup plot 
was thwarted March 21, and Ceesay's account serves to 
document specific victims of such abuse.  We will continue to 
press the GOTG to ensure that abuses are halted and those 
responsible brought to account.  END COMMENT. 
STAFFORD