A group of international rights groups has reacted to the Gambia’s Decision to execute death row prisoners by mid September.
The outcry followed a in a televised speech to the nation, marking the Muslim feast of Eid-ul Fetor, President Yahya Jammeh threaten to execute all death row inmates by the middle of September. The announcement also followed the execution of five death row prisoners.
The rights and regional blocs condemned the President Jammeh statement and called on him to halt any further execution.
Amnesty International on Friday reported that Gambia has executed nine death row inmates. “Amnesty International has received credible reports that nine persons were executed last night in Gambia, and that more persons are under threat of imminent executions today and in the coming days”, it said in a statement.
"The decision of the Gambian president Yahya Jammeh to execute nine prisoners after more than a quarter of a century without execution would be a giant leap backwards", said Paule Rigaud, Amnesty International's Africa deputy director.
The European Union on Sunday said it “will urgently consider an appropriate response” to the execution of nine death row inmates in the Gambia. Catherine Ashton, EU foreign policy chief said in statement, “I strongly condemn the executions which have reportedly taken place and I demand the immediate halt of executions.
"I strongly condemn the executions which have reportedly taken place on Thursday 23 August 2012, following President Jammeh's stated intention to carry out all death penalties before mid-September," EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement.
"I demand the immediate halt of the executions," she added.
The European Union has previously condemned death sentences passed in Gambia, but Sunday's statement went further by indicating that action might follow.
"In light of these executions, the European Union will urgently consider an appropriate response," Ashton said. She reminded Gambia of a commitment to respect human rights in an accord between the bloc and a number of African countries.
The EU opposes the death penalty worldwide and often issues statements asking countries to halt executions, but the language it used in Sunday's statement was far stronger than usual, showing particular concern over the Gambian executions.
The EU plans to give Gambia 65.4 million euros from 2008 to 2013 under a European Development Fund programme. The aid funds projects in areas such as infrastructure and governance.

The British government on Saturday called on Jammeh to halt any further executions. Foreign Minister Alistair Burt said in a statement: “I am deeply concerned over reports that nine prisoners on death row in The Gambia have been executed following comments by President Jammeh that all death row prisoners would now be executed”.
The reported executions come after a lightning visit this week by an envoy of African union chief Boni Yayi, who urged President Jammeh to renounce his plans to execute all the prisoners, many of whom are political detainees.
"After having learned of the imminent execution of a number of prisoners sentenced to death, President Yayi, who is very concerned, wished that President Yahya Jammeh not carry out such a decision," Benin's Foreign Minister Nassirou Bako Arifari told Radio France International late Thursday
Before the reported execution, the African Union, Nigeria and France urged the Gambian government not to carry out death penalties. According to the Civil Society Associations, there are 48 prisoners on Gambia’s death row. The organisation on Friday released nine names it said are the executed inmates. The list include: Lamin B. Darboe, Alieu Bah, Lamin Jarju, Dawda Bojang, Abubacarr Yarbo, Abdoulie Sonko, L.S Jammeh and two Senegalese; Gibril Bah and Tabara Samba. The government, however, has denied executing inmates. It said: “The government of the Republic of The Gambia hereby informs the general public that contrary to the widespread rumours and speculations on the pronouncement made by His Excellency the President of the Republic on the implementation of the death penalty in The Gambia, it wishes to state for the records that such irresponsible spreading of information is wrong.” Opposition leader, Ousainou Darboe staed. ”it’s time for the international community to take measures that will make Jammeh conform with accepted international standard death sentences in Gambia, a sliver of land wedged into Senegal, are carried out by hanging.
"It is in the interest of the nation that the government should issue an unambiguous statement to clear the air," said Ousainou Darboe, leader of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) party.
"If the government denies that any execution has taken place, it should go further and parade all those on death row on TV for their families and the public to see them. If the execution has indeed taken place, the international community should consider imposing travel bans on Jammeh and his ministers," he added.
President Goodluck Jonathan, who arrived in neighboring Senegal on a 24-hour working visit, told journalists in Dakar on Thursday that the entire African continent “should respond” to Jammeh’s threats to implement the death penalty. “Such an act would mean genocide in Africa, after that of Rwanda,” Jonathan said.
Jonathan’s reaction comes a day after France also condemned such a threat, saying The Gambia has applied a de facto moratorium on the death penalty since 1981.

Gambia's presidency issued a statement late on Friday defending its use of the death penalty and dismissing "widespread rumours and speculation", but did not confirm or deny the Amnesty report.

‘We vehemently condemns this in appropriate decision which does not conform with the general standards of the community of modern states that are resolutely committed to the abolition of the death penalty to give full meaning to the right to life, physical integrity and to human dignity as guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Pact on Civil and Political Rights , the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights as well as other instruments which include the Gambian Constitution.” stated the Coalition for the Human rights in The Gambia based in Dakar, Senegal in instatement.

The Coalition further to reiterate that The Gambia is a State which officially operates a de facto moratorium on the execution of death sentences with a view to abolishing capital punishment since 1981 and that since then no execution has been officially carried out despite the existence of this capital punishment in the country’s laws. This is a clear manifestation that the country is willing and committed to join states that have abolished the death penalty during the Periodic Universal Examination in 2010.