HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE GAMBIA (No. 3)

That this House is extremely concerned by the continued detention without trial and disappearance without trace of those in the Gambia who are perceived as opponents of the Gambian government, as reported by Fabakary B. Ceesay in the Forayaa newspaper on 21 February 2013; notes with alarm the continued unlawful arrests, harassment and detention of journalists and activists; draws particular attention to the case of journalist Ebrima Manneh about whom no further information has been released since 2011 when he was said to be alive by the Gambian Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Edward Gomez, five years after being detained, and to the disappearance of Captain Mahmoud Babadi Sarr who, according to his family, has been in detention since late 2009 but has not been tried; further notes with anxiety that on 26 August 2012 nine prisoners, including one woman, were executed by firing squad, as reported in a statement by Gambia's interior ministry; and asks the Government urgently to raise the cases of detentions without trial and disappearances in the Gambia whilst also looking for opportunities to call on the Gambian government to comply with international and regional human rights obligations.