Elevate your local knowledge
Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!
Refugee hopes to spark free press in Gambia
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The founder and executive director of a Rhode Island refugee organization says he’s planning to start a newspaper in the West African country he fled a decade ago.
Omar Bah says he plans to launch a private, independent newspaper in Gambia that will be an alternative to government-controlled media there.
Bah is a former Gambian journalist. He says he fled the country in 2006 after being beaten, kicked and tortured while trying to cover a secret trial. He arrived in Rhode Island in 2007. He directs the Providence-based Refugee Dream Center.
Bah announced his plans in a First Amendment blog run by Roger Williams University.
He says he’s motivated by a government crisis involving Gambia’s longtime ruler, President Yahya Jammeh, who lost a Dec. 1 election but hasn’t accepted defeat.
News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Join the Conversation!
Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
