Gambia’s Former President Implicated In Journalist’s Murder

Former President of Gambia Yahya Jammeh has been implicated in the testimony of an army officer before a truth commission investigating abuses during his time in power.

Lieutenant Malick Jatta, who claims to have been a member of Jammeh’s elite guard the “junglers” has been providing the commission with his account of event surrounding the murder of journalist Deyda Hydara in 2004.

Hydara was shot down by unidentified gunmen in Gambia’s capital Banjul. He was the editor of The Point, as well as being a correspondent for AFP.

Jatta claims to have been one of three military officers involved in Hydara’s killing. He told the commission that the three opened fire on the instructions of Captain Tumbul Tamba, who he alleges was communicating with then-president  Jammeh over the phone.

He also claims to have been rewarded with dollars that his commanding officer said came from “the big man”, in apparent reference to Jammeh.

Jatta supported his allegations by stating that one of the cars used during the operation was part of the president’s fleet, as well as noting that it was unlikely the Captain would have had access to dollars if they had not come from the president.

Jammeh has previously denied state involvement in the killing. He fled to Equatorial Guinea in 2017.

Lieutenant Jatta also confessed to his involvement in more than 50 migrant deaths in 2005.