Sidia Jatta

Early life and education

A Mandinka, Jatta was born in Sutukoba, Wuli District. He was educated locally and at Nungua Secondary School, near Accra, Ghana from 1961 to 1963, before returning to Gambia to attend Yundum College from 1964 to 1966. After working as a school teacher in various primary and secondary schools until 1972, he enrolled at the University of Grenoble from 1973 to 1978, obtaining undergraduate and master's degrees in linguistics. He returned o France again for further study in 1983.

Career

After returning to Gambia, Jatta worked for the Curiculum Development Centre from 1978 to 1983, later as senior curriculum development officer, and was also a research fellow at the International African Institute, London from 1980 to 1982. He resigned from the government in 1986 in protest to the performance of the ruling People's Progressive Party government.

Jatta founded the People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism in 1986, an opposition party to ruling president Yahya Jammeh and was elected its first chairperson in 1987. He is the coeditor of the party's newspaper, Foroyaa. He stood in Eastern Wuli for the PDOIS in the 1987 House of Representatives election stood again in 1992 but finished last in the both election. After being found guilty on two charges, he was fined and released.

Along with Halifa Sallah, he refused the offer of a post in Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council government in 1994. He was briefly detained in August 1994 in defiance of the government ban on political activities.

He won Eastern Wuli in the 1997 national assembly election. Subsequently, he became one of the most trenchant critics in the APRC government in the country's national assembly.

He is also a member of the national assembly from Wuli West. Jatta is also the Secretary General of Wulli Adult Literacy Development Association.