On Monday, President Barrow took this notable step for press freedom, agreeing to retract his legal complaint during a meeting at the State House in Banjul with a delegation representing the entire media landscape of The Gambia.
The meeting included members of the Gambia Press Union, the Media Council, the Newspaper Publishers Association, and the Association of Women Journalists, all aimed at resolving the legal dispute amicably.
Describing this decision as “a major step forward,” the media delegation appreciated the President’s commitment to freedom of expression and acknowledged the vital role of the press in fostering democracy. “It was never our intention to prosecute journalists,” Barrow stated, urging the media to conduct their work responsibly and ethically.
The management of The Voice expressed their gratitude to the President, acknowledging that some of their publications may have unintentionally caused discomfort to him and his party, the National People’s Party (NPP).
This peaceful resolution of the conflict signals a positive development for press freedom in The Gambia, a nation that has been navigating its democratic transition since the end of Yahya Jammeh’s authoritarian regime in 2017.
AC/fss/abj/APA