Authorities in the Gambia have Thursday suspended all permits issued to political parties in the country to hold political rallies.
The decision was made following recent clashes between supporters of the country’s former governing party, APRC, and supports of the coalition government of President Adama Barrow.
The APRC which governed the Gambia for 20 years, is holding its first nationwide tour to shore up its local supporters following its shock defeat in the December 2016 president election.
On Monday, the APRC convoy was ambushed and pelted with missiles by youths of Mankamangkunda, the home village of President Adama Barrow, on its way to Lower River Region (LRR).
One member, Muhammed Badjie, 40, from Farato, sustained serious injuries and is currently admitted at the Bansang hospital in the Central River Region (CRR).
Two female members, Rohey Jammeh of Kanilai and Oumie Gibba of Tanjeh who sustained minor injuries were treated and discharged.
Although the matter was reported to the police, no one has been arrested or questioned.
On Wednesday, the APRC convoy was again involved in a fracas with youths of Busumbala as it makes its way to Serrekunda.
A number of people are reported to have been injured and several properties damaged.
As the situation remains volatile, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Landing Kinteh, said all permits for political activities are being suspended as investigations into the two incidents continue.
And while urging Gambians to comply with the directives and to desist from violence, the police boss reminded them that the country is democracy where all are free to support any political party of their choice.
In a letter sent to head of all political parties in the country, the police boss said: “The Office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) notifies all political parties that all permits granted to conduct political activities have been suspended until further notice.
The decision to suspend all political activity permits has been taken following violent incidents in Mankamang Kunda in Upper River Region (URR) and Busumbala in West Coast Region on 8th and 1th January respectively.
The Office of the IGP urges the general public to comply with the directives and warns all to desist from any form of violence. The Gambia is a democratic country where all are free to support any political party of their choice.
The Office of the Inspector General of Police further informs the general public that investigations are underway regarding the two incidents anyone found to have run afoul of the law would be dealt with according to the full force of the law.”
We the people have a right to lawful assembly. It is the job of the GPF to creat a safe environment as part of their professional responsibility in this exercise of our fundamental human rights. It is draconian and abuse of power to trample on our freedom because the administration is incapable or otherwise unwilling to perform its duties and responsibilities. This suspension of political rallies is illegal and The Hon Minister of Interior should reverse the decision immediately. The Minister of Justice on behalf of The Gambian citizens must file a suit against The IGP and The Minister of Interior to appear in front of a Judge and show cause. The Hon Minister of Interior must sack the IGP who bears responsibility for this decision. He is obviously incompetent and has no respect for the rights of our citizens.
God Bless The Gambia.
Suspend the party Who are creating problems if we really believe in justice otherwise they’ll get us the mess of civil war
Which party is it, then? Don’t forget, it takes TWO to tangle!
I know it would have been different if it were the APRC militants interrupting UDP, NRP, GPDP, PPP rallies. Then the IGP would not have filed any injuction to annul political rallies. Instead, he would have asked the police to manhandle the APRC supporters.
In any case, I’m calling on the APRC management to persuade their party supporters to show restraint and refrain from revenging the irresponsible assaults they suffered at Adama Barrow’s Mankamang Kunda village and at Busumbala.
That’s the only way they can show political maturity and perseverance. These are the cornerstones to win the hearts and minds of the electorate.
Let’s wait for the response from the administration most especially from Adama Barrow and Ousainou Darbo. Will they address the nation and tell their party stalwarts that they behaved illegally and irresponsibly?
1. Suspension of political activities is unfortunate, and I hope things go back to normal as soon as possible, but I think it is understandable under the circumstances. Indeed, the Police have a duty for public protection, but the Gambia Police is not equipped to deal with mass disturbances. (and we must not lose sight of that fact).
2. The authorities must move swiftly to deal with this ugly emerging trend in the politics of the new Gambia. Political parties must not only commit themselves to non violence, but they must be seen to take concrete steps and actions towards achieving non violence in their politics.
3. I do not know the reach of social media in the country, but the authorities must clamp down on those social media platforms which spread misinformation, misrepresentation and pure hatred against parties and individuals they view as opponents. Parties which are associated with or whose names are used by these media platforms must take steps to either reprimand their members who feature on these fora, or disassociate themselves from these groups completely.
4. Individuals who are found culpable in these disturbances must be prosecuted and punished severely, as a deterrence. In this regard, I hope the person who calls himself Sankalang Marong, a self confessed UDP member who claims to frequent Lawyer Darboe’s residence to eat barbecue, and was recorded calling for the killing of anyone dressed in APRC Party symbols, is arrested immediately and prosecuted for incitement of violence.
5. The Police should gather intelligence and place personnel around areas where violence is likely to erupt during political events. Busumbala is becoming a trouble spot and hence, the state needs to engage that community to educate them on their responsibilities as citizens of The Gambia. This community (and any that behaves like it) must be left in no doubt that acts of impunity and violence against political opponents will not be tolerated. The UDP, which is the party of choice for the majority of that community, must also sensitise and educate its members on the party’s principles of non violence and adherence to the law.
6. The APRC has a right to conduct its political activities, but it must not show indifference to the suffering that its administration, under Yaya Jammeh, caused to the nation. Their leadership must show humility and refrain from making statements that may be misconstrued as provocation. Talking about Yaya Jammeh’s so called developments and ignoring the terrible consequences of his 2 decades misrule is not the best way to re-establish the credibility and electoral strength of the party.
7. The Gambia’s peace and tranquillity is the duty of ALL Gambians and we must never be complacent. Let’s all call on our government to be firm and to deal with violators without ill will or favour.
Your call to the adherence to rule of law is highly welcome.
I am unsettled about your intentions regarding banning forums in social media. My interpretation of your input suggest to me that you see UDP and by extension it’s supporters as the trouble makers. Which I think is a very simple diagnosis.
This forums are part of political instrument and all parties use them. Clamping down on individuals or groups for incitement that was not already executed on the ground, would push us back to Jammeh authoritarian means. And which govt body would monitor that?
My take on the disturbances in Busumbala is this: Aprc is misreading the mood in the public. Reconciliation does not mean blanket amnesty for jammeh and his killers. Hence, going about town with jammeh effigies and chanting jammeh “must come back” provokes communities that are against anything that represent Jammeh as it bring memories of persecution. So as much as I condemn the stone throwing encounter that happened in mankamankunda, the Busumbala encounter convinces me that provoking with memories of jammeh can provoke call to action by communities that were badly degenerated by jammeh.
Hence aprc has to walk a fine line. Also the part of the political class must not also down play Jammeh authoritarian regime’s impunity. That only encourage aprc militants to sense an opportunity to flatter themselves at the expense of the other political spectrum that were & remain decisively against anything Jammeh or what he represent.
Kinteh (Kemo)…I don’t know why you are unsettled or how you arrived at your interpretation, but I have neither held the UDP responsible, nor advocated for the banning of any social media platform. If I had felt as you alleged, then trust me, I will say it in black and white. Nonetheless, it is not lost on observers that this fracass with the APRC involved many who are either UDP members, supporters or openly pledge association with the party. To say otherwise is to refuse to acknowledge the naked truth.
As the saying goes, “if you are ashamed of the eye, you can’t skin the head.” We must acknowledge the problem in order to address it. Every party has a duty to educate its members to respect the rights of others to their political choices, but those whose members adopt politics of confrontation and provocation have far greater duties than anyone else. The community of Busumbala, which is a UDP strong hold and has witnessed at least two such incidents, needs to be engaged by the authorities as well as the UDP. You may disagree and see things differently and that’s fine by me.
As for the social media fora, I agree with you that banning may take us back to the Jammeh days, but I was not advocating for any banning. I only suggested clamping down on those that spread misinformation, misrepresentation and hatred.
Surely Kinteh, you aren’t saying that we should wait until violence erupts before we stop inciters and agitators. That’s akin to saying that we must wait until the angry, sleeping dog is woken up, before we stop those who are trying to wake it up. “Prevention”, Kinteh (Kemo), “is better than cure.” Stopping the inciters now, makes far more sense than waiting until their “incitement is executed on the ground”, because it may be too late then.
Social media is a very effective tool for national development, but in the wrong hands, it can be the catalyst to national disaster. Unfortunately, there are far too many social media fora where information emanating from their platforms does not engender peace, tolerance and respect for one and all and I think the media regulator, must do whatever it can, to clamp down on these fora.
If you create a social media platform to report the news, restrict yourself to reporting the news. If you want to be a reporter/commentator, then be fair and accord those you criticise the chance to respond. If you create a platform in the name of a political party, then use your platform to promote the policies, programmes of that party and if you must criticise other parties/leaders, then accord them or their members the right to respond. And always do it in a manner that engenders respect and tolerance and promotes the spirit of a democratic environment.
The APRC may very well have misread the National mood for reconciliation. They may very well be provoking painful memories by displaying Jammeh’s photos and calling for his return, but you know what, all these give no one the right to even interfere with their political activities, never mind stone their convoy. Any who have grievances about how the APRC conducts itself should address their concerns through the right channels. Any who take the law into their own hands must never be spared and shielded from the full force of the law.
Those who use their social media platforms to spread false news, either with the calculated intention (or not) of creating animosity and hatred aganist certain individuals, institutions or organisations must be stopped, where possible and where not, then to whom they associate themselves with, must disassociate from them and ask their members to refrain frpm pertaking in any discussion that go against party beliefs and principles.
Otherwise, people will be entitled to see views expressed on those platforms as representative of those parties’ undeclared agenda.
We have come a long way Babu. Can you imagine the fate of UDP supporters if they had to crossed through Kanilai during Jammeh’s rule. I bet you know what the outcome would had been…..dead bodies and more dead bodies. The APRC agitators will not succeed in their insidious political maneuverings to set our nation alight, to incite violence, setting brother against brother, tribe against tribe and region against region.
And for your information, the injunction to annul political rallies applies to all political parties not only APRC, so let facts and facts alone prevail here to give our people a fair and balance analogue of events. Also lest you forget, the only smelly human waste that i know of is now hiding in Equatorial Guinea with his handful of killers, rapist, thieves, cowards and a gold digging promiscuous BITCH of a wife.
Finally lest you forget Babu, Yahya Jammeh used to dished out thousands on Senegalese musicians like TITI, thousands on Yai Compins, thousands on various worthless celebrations, thousands on illegal personal enterprises etc, etc, etc and not to mention the other financial mismanagement in all sectors of government.
Please Babu, will the New Year bring fresh arguments from you rather than the same old tired unbalanced innuendos, assertions, criticisms, insults and false accusations. Or maybe show us some practical solutions to our many challenging problems. Praise singing monster Jammeh ain’t gonna solve our nation’s problems.