Nine Gambia prisoners executed amid rights group outcry
Nine prisoners have been executed in Gambia, despite international alarm at an apparent official policy to carry out all death penalties by next month.
The prisoners were shot dead by firing squad on Sunday, Gambia's interior ministry said.
President Yahya Jammeh had vowed to kill all 47 death-row inmates by mid-September.
Rights groups and the international community have expressed alarm, calling on Mr Jammeh to halt the executions.
Amnesty International attacked the policy last week when it reported that the executions had been carried out three days earlier.
Many of Gambia's death row inmates are former officials and top military officers who have been detained for treason since 1994, when Mr Jammeh took power in a coup.
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, urged Gambia to stop the executions immediately.
Eid address One woman was among those executed, the Interior Ministry said, listing crimes such as murder, treason, arson, drug and human trafficking as being punishable by death.
It was not clear what crimes each of the nine prisoners were executed for.
The death penalty was abolished when former President Dawda Jawara led the country but reinstated in 1995 shortly after Mr Jammeh seized power.
"By the middle of next month, all the death sentences would have been carried out to the letter; there is no way my government will allow 99% of the population to be held to ransom by criminals," President Jammeh said in a speech, which was broadcast on national television on 19 August, marking the Muslim festival of Eid.
In response, Benin's President Thomas Boni Yayi, who currently holds the chair of the African Union, sent his foreign minister to Gambia to warn Mr Jammeh not to carry out any executions.
if u attack my papa house, I'll retaliate but if you are peace loving,I will embrace you
Posted: at 28-08-2012 07:20 AM (12 years ago) | Hero
This man has committed a coup in the 95 and has been on power since then.He said that God has made him president of Gambia.Before Gambia did not have an army,but got help from Senegal to train new soldiers to prevent a coup against the former Gambian president Dawda Jawara,who died later.president Jammeh took this opportunity to enlist,then he committed a coup.Now he is the worst dictator in the West Africa.Gambians should blame England and all western nations that keep pouring money into the dictator Jammeh pocket and bank accounts.He just said to the West that he is free to do whatever he want in Gambia.He has been killing all his opponents,In addition,he jailed innocent people.Ironically ,he has foreign corrupted mercenary Nigerian judges.Imagine that.ECOWAS has dictators within ,such as president Blaise Compaore of Burkina Fasso and president Jammeh of Gambia.
SELF-CONFIDENCE IS THE FIRST REQUISITE TO GREAT UNDERTAKINGS.
Posted: at 28-08-2012 12:31 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming
in this age of governance 
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