Gambia's Norbert Zongo?

It looks The Gambia may have its own Norbert Zongo, publisher of an independent Burkina Faso paper who was assassinated for doing reporting that threatened the country's military strongman.

One of the leading journalists in The Gambia was shot dead late last night. Deyda Hydara, 58, editor of The Point newspaper and correspondent for the AFP news agency was shot three times in the head, his colleague said, reported the BBC. He was sharply critical of a tough new press law which was passed this week. The private media has complained that the government is trying to muzzle it. In April, the printing press of another paper were burnt down.

The press law provided for jail terms for those found guilty of libel or sedition and the seizure of the homes of the editors of libellous newspapers.

Typically The government said the law was needed to make journalists more responsible. Responsible being a code word for compliant.

One newspaper accused state security service attack of being behind the attack.