In Solidarity With Voice Newspaper: A Response to President Barrow’s Legal Threats
By Omar Saibo Camara
I condemn, in the strongest terms, President Barrow’s legal threats against The Voice Newspaper. It is with great concern that I write this to express my disappointment about the president’s reaction to the Voice newspaper’s publication on his potential successor plan. The President’s attempt to take legal action against Musa and the Voice Newspaper is nothing but a show of his blatant disregard for media freedom and an attempt to silence journalists in the Gambia.
The publication made by The Voice Newspaper has not harmed President Barrow. Instead, it represents a legitimate inquiry into the actions of our politicians and provides information of concern and interest to Gambian citizens, promoting transparency and accountability from our leaders. Therefore, Adama Barrow’s attempt to take legal action against The Voice Newspaper is a deliberate effort not only to silence The Voice but also to send a significant threat to the media community in The Gambia.
Such actions by our political leaders, especially by the President, discourage journalists from performing their work by instilling in them fear. In defense of democracy and democratic values, we must stand up for our rights and freedoms, including media freedom.
The consequences of these legal actions against The Voice could be long-lasting for the future of independent journalism in The Gambia. If we allow journalists to be punished and penalized for doing their job, such as reporting, we risk creating an environment of media censorship and diminishing the quality of public discourse. Therefore, I strongly condemn President Barrow’s attempt to silence and censor The Voice Newspaper.
President Barrow must understand that, as President of the Republic of The Gambia, he must always withstand public scrutiny. No one would have published anything against him as a private citizen or as CEO of MAJUM, but as President, he should accept and recognize the role of the media in promoting democratic governance rather than threatening it.
It is worth noting that if President Barrow doesn’t want his presidency to be discussed in public, perhaps he should resign and return to a private life in Mankamang Kunda. If he remains President of the Republic of The Gambia, he must be open to a healthy democracy, accept scrutiny, and remain accountable to the people he serves.
I would like to call on the Gambia Press Union, the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organizations, and all citizens to stand in solidarity with The Voice Newspaper. It’s our collective responsibility to protect and promote our rights and freedoms; this includes press freedom and the rights of media personnel and journalists to report on matters of public concern. Our voices are powerful, and together we can ensure that the principles of democracy and freedom of expression remain safeguarded.