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On July 22, Lieutenant Malick Jatta, an army officer, was appointed before the Truth, Reconciliation and Restitution (TRR) Commission of The Gambia, former President Yahya Jammeh. murder Hydara, a critic who was the editor and co-owner of the independent newspaper Point . The operation of the infamous Jammeh strike team, known as Junglers, has been dubbed the "magic pen," Jatta told the commission.
Recalling that Thursday night when she had learned that her father had been shot dead, Hydara's daughter, Marie Hydara, told CPJ: "I was 32 years old and I was tall enough to mate. to occupy everyone, but my youngest brothers said that my father treated me baby, that's why I always cry for him. "
This week, in an e-mail, she informed CPJ about the impact of her father's murder, his hopes for the next steps and what the Gambia should do to protect the press. The interview has been changed for its length and clarity.
Maria Hydara, photographed with her father, the Gambian journalist Deyda. Maria says that her family had to wait 15 years to get confirmation from the author of the murder of her father. (Maria Hydara)
The TRRC process should continue for at least 18 months. Tumbul Tamba, the commander of the team responsible for the murder of your father, died a few years ago and Jammeh is in exile in Equatorial Guinea. What is the next step to ensure that you and your family finally receive the justice denied to you for so long?
True. My family has been waiting for 15 years for confirmation that it is Jammeh who ordered the badbadination of my father in December 2004. As already said, just three days after his badbadination, three names were narrated in the city while his badbadins: Sana Majang, Kawsu Camara, and Malick Jatta. All members of the murderous Jammeh Brigade. These are still the same names on the arrest warrants issued by the new government in 2017. The only name we've ever heard of was this Alieu Jeng, who, according to Jatta, was the third gunman. Therefore, we were not surprised by Jatta's testimony before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as we heard a version of Junglers in Exile, interviewed by Pa Nderry M & # 39; bai on Freedom Radio. Therefore, I did not think it would be a walk in the park, but I did not think it would hit me so hard. It brought back so many painful memories and numbness on Thursday night. Everyone in the family was panicked again, as at the end of the year celebrations since the death of my father. For example, on New Year's Eve, instead of wishing you a happy new year, all you get on the other side of the phone is total silence from the guys and lamentations from the women. It was traumatic and as my mother is here with me, instead of comforting her, I also collapsed when he (Jatta) said, "I raised 50,000 dalasis" (about $ 2,000 at the time ) for the murder of my father. That sent me the wall. I just could not handle everything. My little girl was left trying to comfort us both. Most people were shocked by these revelations: these vile delinquents were in our midst and ordered to slaughter, decapitate, strangle and shoot our loved ones for no good reason, but of greed, financial gain and irreproachable status.
With the death of former Commander Tamba and with Jammeh himself in Equatorial Guinea, we will strengthen our campaign with all international human rights organizations and journalists such as the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Open Society Foundations. OSF), Legal Media Advocacy Initiative (MLDI), Article 19, International PEN, Gambia Press Union, Media Foundation for West Africa (WFWA), Forum of African Publishers (TAEF) ), Association of Journalists of West Africa (WAJA), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Agence France-Presse (AFP) and all other organizations that have rallied to us in our quest for justice for 15 years.
Knowing that Equatorial Guinea is not known to have defended the freedom of the press and that it has a horrendous record in human rights, do you believe that the call in the extradition of Jammeh so that he be tried for the murder of your father, as well as for the other atrocities committed during his 22 years in power, will president Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo ever hear? He had previously been committed to protecting Jammeh. How to make sure that there will be no impunity and that Jammeh will be held responsible?
It's a well-known fact that Obiang is like Jammeh's godfather in terms of human rights abuses and that he would certainly not be ready to hand him over his brutal d & # 39; 39; ally. Efforts are being made by the Gambian Center for Human Rights Violations, which was created just after Jammeh left in 2017. Most of the victims and survivors of Jammeh have been registered. In 2017, Reed Brody (the dictator Hunter) of Human Rights Watch was responsible for translating (former Chadian dictator) Hissène Habré in a court of law after 20 years of exile in Dakar, where he was later tried and sentenced. condemned. A coalition was formed with Trial International and the Victims Center. [This resulted in] the birth of Jammeh2Justice (J2J) which brought together Jammeh's victims from all sectors, such as Jammeh's HIV victims (in collaboration with AIDS-Free World) and 56 mbadacred migrants on Gambian soil. More than 40 came from Ghana and the rest came from Senegal, Nigeria, Togo and Côte d'Ivoire. They left Africa on the way back but were taken for mercenaries and mbadacred by the Junglers on Jammeh's orders. This was also confirmed by the team of killers during a testimony before the TRRC. We must therefore mount political pressure and put pressure on other African states that have a direct interest in this case so that justice is done to their nationals.
It may be in Obiang's interest to rethink his protection of Jammeh, as it seems that many other African states will want to seek justice for their nationals.
Recently, the Minister of Justice stated that, while awaiting TRRC's recommendations, he had not ruled out the release of Jatta or his release from the army camp where he was confined to a barracks since his death. arrest in 2017. establish the truth. What did you think of Jatta's behavior during his testimony and what would you like him to happen to him?
Lieutenant Jatta confessed to the Commission of Reconciliation and Reparation that he had "scored more than 50,000 Dalasis". It's the statement that broke my heart. I was speechless at the pride with which he admitted without remorse or compbadion. He said that the money had been given by Jammeh as a token of his appreciation for the murder of "The Magic Pen," Jatta said the TRRC was the code name of this operation to kill my father.
Jatta, like other members of Jammeh's team, has been held for two years in an army camp and not in prison. Now, after such shocking revelations, the current government plans to release these vile offenders into society, as they were rewarded for the role they had played in the brutal killings of our loved ones. I see the need for reconciliation to promote peace and stability and to heal the country, but from the point of view of the victim's family, I do not think that reconciliation should come before justice for these victims. In addition, forgiveness should not be imposed on victims. The moment is badly chosen. The insensitivity of the government is beyond me. They must be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction or, pending the recommendations of the CRRT, they must be kept behind bars pending the completion of the CRRT.
In June 2018, the government of President Adama Barrow paid part of the compensation to the Hydara family ordered by a court of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) there five years ago. Was the balance paid at the end of last year, as agreed, or did the CRRT process delay this?
The Barrow government finalized the payment that had been granted by the court of Ecowas in 2014 for the failure to investigate [the murder]. The command was ignored by Jammeh. She was paid in two installments and an independent order was also ordered to open an investigation into her murder. We will wait for the recommendations of the CRRT.
What is your message to the Gambian media after the Jammeh era? How do you think that the memory of your father and that of other journalists like the chief Ebrima Manneh, who were also victims of Jammeh, could be honored?
First of all, I would like to express our gratitude to the Gambia Press Union and the entire media community for their continued support and solidarity with their colleagues over the last twenty years. I believe that my father and Chief Ebrima Manneh will remember the rigorous media law that my father challenged in court a few days before his death because he thought these laws would "muzzle the press."
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