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Anti-Jammeh radio station shut in Gambia

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The authorities in The Gambia have shut down a popular radio station critical of long-serving ruler Yahya Jammeh.

A BBC report said that intelligence agents ordered Teranga FM’s closure without giving reasons, said Emil Touray, the head of the Gambia Press Union.

This is the first sign of a crackdown on the media since Mr Jammeh rejected defeat in the 1 December poll.

Mr Jammeh first seized power in a bloodless coup in 1994.

He initially conceded to property developer Adama Barrow, but then launched court action to annul the result, saying the poll was marred by irregularities.

The electoral commission said the poll was free and fair.

Four National Intelligence Agency operatives and a police officer visited the offices of Teranga FM on Sunday to demand its closure, a staff member told AFP on condition of anonymity.

There has been no official comment from the government.

Station manager Alagie Ceesay was arrested in July 2015 on charges of sedition and “publication of false news” – allegations he denied.

The Gambia ranked 145 out of 180 countries in media campaign group Reporters Without Borders’ 2016 World Press Freedom Index.

It said there was “a climate of terror around anything remotely to do with journalism”.

The UN and West African regional body Ecowas have urged Mr Jammeh to respect the will of the people and step down when his term ends.

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