View source for Pap Cheyassin Secka

{{Short description|Gambian lawyer and politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Pap Cheyassin Secka
| image              = 
| alt                = 
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = Cheyassin Ousman Secka
| birth_date         = June 1942
| birth_place        = [[Gambia Colony and Protectorate]]
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2012|3|29|1942|6||df=y}}
| death_place        = [[The Gambia]]
| education          = University ([[Law]])
| alma_mater         = 
| occupation         = [[Barrister]] at [[Law]]
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| known_for          = [[Law]] and [[politics]]
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| title              = LLB
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| children           = 
| parents            = Ousman Secka and Neneh Jobarteh
| relatives          = [[Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof]] and [[Alhaji Bai Modi Joof|Bai Modi Joof]] (uncles)
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}}

'''Pap Cheyassin Secka''' or '''Pap Cheyassin Ousman Secka''' (June 1942 – 29 March 2012) was a [[The Gambia|Gambian]] lawyer and politician.<ref name="Arnold">{{cite book |editor1-last=Hughes |editor1-first=Arnold |editor2-last=Perfect |editor2-first=David |year=2008 |title=Historical Dictionary of The Gambia |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9780810858251 |page=iii, 156, 202–203}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=0C1eWHq8LZ4C&pg=PA203]</ref><ref name="Freedom">{{cite news |url=http://www.freedomnewspaper.com/Homepage/tabid/36/mid/367/newsid367/7424/Gambia--Breaking-News--EX-Justice-Minister-Pap-Cheyassin-Ousman-Secka-Dies/Default.aspx |title=EX Justice Minister Pap Cheyassin Ousman Secka Dies! |first=Pa Nderry |last=M’Bai |date=29 March 2012 |work=Freedom Newspaper |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507011945/http://www.freedomnewspaper.com/Homepage/tabid/36/mid/367/newsid367/7424/Gambia--Breaking-News--EX-Justice-Minister-Pap-Cheyassin-Ousman-Secka-Dies/Default.aspx |archive-date=7 May 2012 }}</ref> He was the [[Justice ministry|minister of justice]] and the former [[Attorney General (The Gambia)|Attorney General]] of the Gambia.<ref name="Freedom"/><ref name="Point"/>

==Life==
Pap Cheyassin Secka, more commonly known as Cheyassin Secka was born in the [[Gambia Colony and Protectorate]] in June 1942 by Ousman Secka and Neneh Jobarteh. His children include Oumie Secka and Ndondy Secka. He is the maternal nephew of the Gambian historian and politician [[Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof]]. 
He was educated at the Methodist Boy's High School in colonial ''Bathurst'' now [[Banjul]] (the capital of the Gambia).<ref name="Arnold"/> By 1962, he became a qualified teacher and taught in the Gambia for many years before pursuing his education in the [[United States of America|United States]]. He attended the Hall Academy in [[New Jersey]] in 1964 before proceeding to the [[American University|American University in Washing D.C.]] where he obtained a [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] in 1968 and an [[Master of Arts|MA]] in 1969.<ref name="Arnold"/> It was in the United States where he first became active in politics, as one of the radical political students.<ref name="Arnold"/> Having obtained a fellowship at [[Columbia University]] in 1970–71, he was [[call to the bar|called to the English Bar]] in 1973.  Cheyassin Secka returned to the Gambia in 1973 to set up his law practice.<ref name="Arnold"/>

==Career==

During the administration of president [[Dawda Jawara|Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara]] (the First Republic), Cheyassin Secka became the leader of the defunct [[National Liberation Party (Gambia)|National Liberation Party]]<ref name="Freedom"/><ref name="Point">[[The Point (Gambia)|The Point Newspaper]]  : [http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/lawyer-pap-cheyassin-secka-passes-away "Lawyer Pap Cheyassin Secka passes away"] (Retrieved : 17 July 2012)</ref> formed on 4 October 1975.<ref name="Arnold"/> However his political career was merred by the country's 1981 [[coup d'état]] instigated by the revolutionist [[Kukoi Samba Sanyang]].<ref name="Freedom"/> According to sources, "he was sentenced to life imprisonment for his alleged participation into the Koukoi [Kukoi] coup attempt against Jawara's regime."<ref name="Freedom"/> Having spent nearly 12 years in prison at Mile Two (the country's top prison), he was later granted amnesty.<ref name="Freedom"/><ref name="Point"/>

Cheyassin Secka became the Gambian [[Attorney General (The Gambia)|Attorney General]] around 2000, appointed by the Gambian president [[Yahya Jammeh]].<ref name="Freedom"/> On 10 and 11 April 2000, Gambian students [[April 2000 Gambian student massacre|held a demonstration against the regime]] of president Jammeh.<ref name="Darboe">By Alieu Darboe [in] the Gambia Voice [http://thegambiavoice.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/gambia-april-10-11-2000-student.html] (Retrieved : 17 July 2012)</ref> In this demonstration, many student were massacred by the Gambian forces.<ref name="Darboe"/> President Jammeh was accused of giving the order to open arms against the students, although he denied the accusation.<ref name="Darboe"/> Following this massacre, Cheyassin Secka "read out the April 10 Commission Report, which indemnifies the April 10 student killers to the local press." After reading out this report, he was relieved from his post by president Jammeh on 30 January 2001, following "the indemnification of the student killers".<ref name="Freedom"/> He was a [[barrister]] at [[law]] and one of the renowned barristers of the country.<ref name="Freedom"/><ref name="Point"/> He joined the legal profession in 1973 as a practicing barrister.<ref name="For">[[Foroyaa|Foroyaa News]] : {{cite web |url=http://www.foroyaa.gm/index.php/burning-issue/11001-gambia-news-archive |title=LEGAL FRATERNITY BID FAREWELL TO LATE PAP CHEYASSIN SECKA - Foroyaa Newspaper |accessdate=17 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130213172627/http://www.foroyaa.gm/index.php/burning-issue/11001-gambia-news-archive |archive-date=13 February 2013 }} "Legal Fraternity Bid Farewell to late Pap Cheyassin Secka"] (Retrieved : 17 July 2012)</ref> He was a member of the Gambian [[Bar association|Bar]].<ref name="For"/>

==Death==
Pap Cheyassin Secka died on 29 March 2012 in the Gambia. According to sources, he is reported to have complained about a "minor illness" and was taken to hospital. He later died having suffered a heart attack.<ref name="Freedom"/>

{{portal|Gambia|Law|Politics}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [[WikiLeaks]]: ''U.S. YOUNG LAWYERS REQUEST FOR NAMES OF POSSIBLE INVITEES'', (1978 May 30, 00:00 (Tuesday)) [https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1978BANJUL00848_d.html]

{{s-start}}
{{s-gov}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Fatou Bensouda]] }}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Attorney General (The Gambia)|Attorney General]] and Minister of Justice of [[The Gambia]]|years=2000–2001}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Joseph Henry Joof]] }}
{{s-end}}
{{Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof|state=collapsed}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Secka, Pap Cheyassinu}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:Gambian diplomats]]
[[Category:20th-century Gambian lawyers]]
[[Category:Gambian politicians]]
[[Category:Government ministers of the Gambia]]
[[Category:21st-century Gambian lawyers]]
[[Category:Attorneys general of the Gambia]]