The Daily Observer

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The Daily Observer

description Gambian daily newspaper
First edition 1990
attitude 2017
founder Kenneth Y. Best
Frequency of publication Mon-Fri
executive Director Saja Taal
Web link The Daily Observer

The Daily Observer (often short: The Observer ) was a private newspaper in the West African state of Gambia , which existed from 1990 to 2017. It was considered independent, yet it was classified as close to the government in Yahya Jammeh's reign until 2017. It appeared five issues a week, the Friday issue was called the Weekend Observer . The newspaper was based in Bakau .

history

Editorial rooms in Bakau

The newspaper was created by Kenneth Y. Best founded in 1990, after Best in the turmoil of the Liberian civil war in Liberia had fled. He initially reported critically on the military coup in Gambia and was deported by the military junta to Liberia in October 1994, from where he went to the United States, where he received political asylum.

Best sold the newspaper in May 1999 to Amadou Samba , a confidante of the previous coup leader and then President Yahya Jammeh . As explained in the Janneh Commission's final report in September 2019 , it paid $ 268,000. The money was stolen from the Central Bank of Gambia . On August 1, 2002, he transferred the shares to Jammeh's employee Baba Jobe . In 2004, Jammeh seized the company and certain management and reporting guidelines.

Momodou Sanyang was the managing director until 2005 . Saja Taal followed him .

The 20th anniversary was celebrated on May 11, 2012.

In June 2017, the company was closed by the Gambian tax authorities for two weeks because the company had tax debts of 17 million dalasi ($ 371,000). 30 percent of the debt should be paid within this period. The newspaper was subsequently permanently closed.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Publishers allafrica.com, accessed May 2012
  2. ^ Arnold Hughes, Harry A. Gailey: Historical dictionary of the Gambia (= African historical dictionaries. Vol. 79). 3. Edition. Scarecrow Press, Lanham MD et al. a. 1999, ISBN 0-8108-3660-2
  3. ↑ Kenneth Best ( Memento of June 8, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES OF PUBLIC BODIES, ENTERPRISES AND OFFICES AS REGARDS THEIR DEALINGS WITH FORMER PRESIDENT YAHYA AJJ JAMMEH AND CONNECTED MATTERS REPORT VOLUME 9. Accessed January 14, 2020 .
  5. ↑ Saja Taal Sacked From Daily Observer .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: The Gambia Journal , October 17, 2007@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.thegambiajournal.com  
  6. ↑ DR. Saja Taal Returns as Halake Speaks .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: The Gambia Journal , October 21, 2007@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.thegambiajournal.com  
  7. ^ Gambia: Observer Clocks 19 Years Today - What the Staff Say . In: The Daily Observer (Banjul) . May 11, 2011 ( allafrica.com ).
  8. ↑ We are 20yrs today .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: The Daily Observer , May 11, 2012@1@ 2Template: dead link / observer.gm  
  9. ↑ Gambia's Daily Observer newspaper closed for two weeks. Retrieved January 19, 2020 .
  10. ↑ Pa Nderry Mbai: Gambia: Opinion: Observer Staff to take to the street. In: Freedom Newspaper. January 1, 2018, accessed January 19, 2020 (American English).
  11. ↑ Closured of Daily Observer Newspaper Company Ltd affects Overall Media Landscape in The Gambia |. November 26, 2019, accessed January 19, 2020 (American English).

Coordinates: 13 ° 28 ′ 30.2 "  N , 16 ° 40 ′ 32.5"  W.