Gambian rapper seeks asylum in Senegal post death threats

joan

July 24, 2015 10:11 AM

According to the entertainer, he, his family and manager were receiving death threats from Gambia's National Intelligence Agency (NIA) especially on the day he was to drop his new song.

Killa Ace seeks asylum in Senegal

A Gambian rapper by the name Killa Ace (real name Ali Cham) is currently seeking asylum in Senegal after fleeing his country in July.

According to the entertainer, he, his family and manager were receiving death threats from Gambia's National Intelligence Agency (NIA) especially on the day he was to drop his new song.

"My wife and I, and my manager incessantly received death threats and calls from the NIA demanding my whereabouts," he told journalists.

Apparently, Killa Ace reportedly recorded a song accusing authorities of growing repression and extra-judicial killings.

In statement on Thursday, July 23, the Gambian Minister of Information, Sherrif Bojang said: ''The government of Gambia does not respond to such trivial matters.''

But Cham insists that he fled to nearby Senegal in July alongside his family and is noy applying for asylum. He also revealed to journalists on Thursday that he will continue to record songs for his forthcoming album titled: 'Lyrical Revolution'.

"A full entire country and they say no one is allowed to speak. Not the imam, not the nation, not the journalist? Why?," says the song 'Ku Boka C Geta G', which means roughly "all those with the cattle herd deserve milk" in the Wolof language.

According to rights groups, there's been a deterioration in civil liberties in Gambia this year since a failed coup plot in December that sought to overthrow long-ruling President Yahya Jammeh. But the government denies the allegations saying it has made progress on press freedom and legal due process.

joan