Gambia: fourth radio closed since crisis began

By Saikou Kalleh

BANJUL, Gambia (AA) - Gambian authorities have ordered Paradise FM, a radio station that has been effectively covering the crisis in the country, to cease operation without any reason being advanced on Sunday.

Paradise has become the fourth radio station Gambian authorities forcefully closed down since crisis began in the small West African nation.

“There were six of them who came and ordered us to close down. They said the orders are coming from the ministry of communication,” Kebba Camara, a staff of the radio who produces their political related programmes, told Anadolu Agency.

“They said we can call the communication minister for any queries but we were made to understand he is out of the country.”

Emil Touray, the president of the Gambia Press Union, told Anadolu Agency that the closure of the radio station is “not in tandem with law and it is unconstitutional”.

“We are calling on them to reverse their decision,” he added.

Meanwhile, officials from the country’s communication ministry could not be reached for comment.

Gambia has over two dozen radio stations that were seriously censored but since the crisis began, most of them have started covering politics.

The small country was plunged into a crisis on Dec. 9 after President Yahya Jammeh rejected the results, a week after conceding defeat to a little known property developer, Adama Barrow.

Since the crisis erupted, the regional bloc, ECOWAS, and major international institutions including the United Nations and African Union has asked Jammeh to step down.

Leaders of ECOWAS have appointed Nigeria’s President Muhammed Buhari and Ghana’s former president John Dramani Mahama to discuss the crisis in Gambia and the two are meeting in Abuja today (Monday) to discuss the crisis.