Fabakary B Ceesay, a reporter with the opposition newspaper Foroyaa in the Gambia, was threatened with abduction and violence by an anonymous caller on May 20 and 21, according to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).
MFWA sources in the Gambia reported that the caller told Ceesay to stop writing articles critical of the government or "face the consequences." The calls came to Ceesay on two occasions from an undisclosed mobile number. According to the journalist, the caller said: "Fabakary, I warn you. We know you. We know your house, and we are near you right now. We can get hold of you whenever we want. So you better be careful of what you write."
After consulting his colleagues, Ceesay, who is also the Communication and Public Relations Officer of the Network of Human Rights Journalists (NHRJ) in the Gambia, reported the threats to the Serrekunda Police Station on May 26.
MFWA has expressed concern about the relentless pressure on journalists in the Gambia under the regime of President Yahya Jammeh. MFWA considered the threats against Ceesay as an unscrupulous attempt to intimidate the journalist and to scare him into not exercising his right to free expression.
