Press freedom activists and human rights defenders have denounced the attack on the GRTS camera crew on Saturday and demand urgent investigation.
Gambian police are investigating the attack on the camera crew of the Gambia Radio and Television Services in Bujinga, said the inspector general of police on Thursday.
On Saturday, two GRTS journalists were attacked at the funeral of former president Yahya Jammeh’s mother by people who identified themselves as ‘APRC security’.
They beat the reporters, seized their cameras and prevented them from filming, reports said.
Mamour Jobe said the police investigating the incident are in the process of identifying the culprit(s) and will prosecute them soonest evidence are available.
“We are doing everything to make sure that people who attacked the journalists are brought to book,” said IGP Jobe.
“I can assure you that in all the recent attacks on journalists that are reported to the police, action will be taken unless if the complainants withdraw.”
Jobe expressed these views at a meeting in his office between the police high command and the executive of the Gambia Press Union.
The GPU was at the IGP’s office to raise concerns over recent attacks on journalists by both police officers and political party supporters.
Since the overthrow of former dictator Yahya Jammeh who was quite notorious for attacking journalists, media practitioners continue to face similar challenges.
In 2017, supporters of the United Democratic Party, National Reconciliation Party and Gambia Moral Congress have attacked a Foroyaa newspaper journalist Kebba Jeffang and nothing was done about it.
Similar attack was made on Abdoulie John, a freelance reporter, by supporters of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction party during the last nominations for mayoral aspirants for Kanifing Municipality.
Few other incidents happened since then involving journalists but in all those cases, no one was brought to book.
“We would want the police to also be sensitive to the presence of journalists in hostile situations,” said the GPU secretary general, Saikou Jammeh.
The GPU and the police high command promised to work together towards ensuring that journalists are protected in hostile situations.
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