Gambia Press Union has taken up Thursday shocking incident in Banjul which saw a photographer of the presidency allegedly attacked a reporter of Kerr Fatou shortly after President Adama Barrow took his voter’s card photo.
A widely shared video of the incident saw both officers of the Gambia army and police separating the two – but the man identified as Modou E Njie could be seen insisting against stopping the fight.
The Union in a statement strongly condemned the attack on the reporter and called for an end to journalists’ bully.
“This sort of attacks on journalists must stop, and in this case, we want the perpetrator be punished to deter him and others who have no regard for the rights of journalists from committing similar violations,” the nation’s umbrella body of journalists said in a statement.
“This latest assault of a journalist by a State House photographer rekindles the bad and unacceptable memories of similar attacks on journalists with impunity by people close to the State House during the dictatorship.
“President Barrow’s accusation of journalists of biased and unfavourable coverage has the potential of fanning his supporters and militants against the media.
“The GPU wishes to reiterate that it is the primary obligation of the State, its agents and everyone to protect and respect media freedom and independence as journalists execute their watchdog function. Assaulting journalists in their line of duty is inexcusable, intolerable and unacceptable,” it added.
Meanwhile, Buba Gagigo said: “As we were interviewing the president (His Excellency Adama Barrow), Njie was behind me taking photos of the president while I put our microphone to the president. He later came to me saying I intentionally stood in front of him while he was taking pictures. I told him I wouldn’t know what happens behind me while I was concentrating on the interview with the president. And there were many other people.
“From the president’s interview, I continued to interview the IEC chairman and immediately after that interview, the guy (Njie) attacked me, knocking me to the ground. He was hitting me continuously until the police and some other journalists on the ground intervened.”
But Modou E Njie is yet to make comment about the incident.