In 2009, The Gambia had a population of 1,731,158 people and a population growth rate of 2.9%. The economy was driven by the export of commodities such as peanuts and fish. The Gambia was an active member in many international organisations including the United Nations, African Union and Economic Community of West African States. Politically, The Gambia was a presidential republic with two major political parties: the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) and the United Democratic Party (UDP). The then President was Yahya Jammeh who had been in office since 1994. He had previously served as Minister for Information from 1992 to 1994 under President Dawda Jawara. See internetsailors for Gambia in the year of 2011.
Yearbook 2009
The Gambia. Few African regimes have a more repressive attitude to the media than the Gambian. Seven of the country’s most well-known journalists were arrested in June, five of them in raids against the press association’s premises, and charged with rioting and defamation. In several newspaper articles, they had questioned President Yahya Jammeh’s statement that the regime was not behind the 2004 assassination of prominent editor Deyda Hydara. Six of those arrested were sentenced to two years in prison while one was acquitted. According to countryaah, the judges were criticized by the EU and the US as a threat to freedom of speech and a parody of justice. After a month, the president pardoned all six without further justification. See ABBREVIATIONFINDER for abbreviation GA which stands for the nation of Gambia.
In September, President Jammeh arose when he threatened to kill human rights activists in a televised match, as his activities, according to him, “destabilize” society. The threat was answered by a call on the Internet demanding that the African Union move its headquarters for human rights issues from The Gambia. President Jammeh also announced that the country will resume executions. The Gambia was reported at the beginning of the year to have 15 convicted prisoners. Officially, no one has been executed in the country since the 1980s, but it is believed to have occurred in secret.