KANIFING — 2004 · Murder
The Assassination of Journalist Deyda Hydara
Deyda Hydara, co-founder and editor of The Gambia's independent newspaper The Point and a correspondent for AFP and Reporters Without Borders, was shot dead in his car in Kanifing, near Banjul, as he drove home on the night of 16 December 2004; two colleagues travelling with him were wounded. The attack came two days after parliament passed restrictive press laws that Hydara had opposed. In 2014 the ECOWAS court held the Gambian government liable for failing to investigate the murder properly and ordered compensation for the family. In 2019 a former soldier told the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that he took part in the attack and that the order came from the very top of the regime. The case is still before the courts.
- Date
- 2004
- Place
- near Banjul, The Gambia, Kanifing, GM
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Under Investigation
- Coordinates
- 13.4500, -16.6800 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 14 December 2004Parliament passed restrictive press laws.
- 16 December 2004Hydara was shot in his car in Kanifing.
- 2014The ECOWAS court held the government liable for failing to investigate.
- July 2019A former soldier described his part in the attack before the truth commission.
Sources
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.