Banjul City Council has formally requested a police permit to stage a peaceful protest against Sino Majilac Jalbak Investment and Development Company, a sand mining and dredging firm operating at Denton Bridge, over alleged non-payment of royalties and the growing environmental threat posed by its activities.
In a letter dated 21st July 2026 and addressed to the Inspector General of Police, the Office of the Lord Mayor notified authorities of plans for a stationary, peaceful demonstration on Thursday, 27th August 2026, between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at the company’s site. The protest, limited to two hours, aims to highlight “the urgent and unresolved issue affecting residents of Banjul” after repeated failed attempts at amicable resolution.
The letter stresses the action will be personal and symbolic, without mobilization of a public gathering. However, individual citizens may join of their own volition, and the press is invited to cover the event.
Sources close to the council confirmed the application for the permit was submitted ahead of the planned action. The move follows mounting frustration over what officials describe as years of unpaid royalties from sand extraction that has generated substantial revenue while leaving Banjul’s infrastructure strained and its environment at risk.
In a brief social media statement, Banjul Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe declared: “Justice for Banjul! If hundreds of millions have been generated from the Sino Majilac sand mining while over 100 trucks enter and leave Banjul daily, why is our infrastructure deteriorating? Banjulians deserve transparency, accountability, and answers. Justice for Banjul! Sino Majilac Jalbak sand mining, we demand answers! – 400,000,000 million or more in earnings. Banjul 0! – Over 100 Trucks coming in and out of Banjul every day. – Our infrastructure is suffering, Banjulians are crying, and they demand answers!”
The mayor’s comments echo a wider dispute over royalties. A concerned citizen claimed the company has mined sand in Banjul for nearly five years without paying dues to the City Council. Mayor Lowe confirmed the allegation, stating: “It is true that Sino Majilac Jalbak is not paying royalties to the BCC. I have made several efforts, but nothing has come out of it. I was told the money is paid to the government, but we have not received a single butut.” She expressed deeper frustration, adding that the council is routinely sidelined, citing examples such as the Banjul Project and McCarthy Square.
Repeated attempts to obtain comments from Sino Majilac Jalbak, the Ministry of Finance, the Department of Geology, the National Environment Agency and the Ministry of Environment were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
Council officials link the protest not only to the financial shortfall but also to fears of an impending environmental catastrophe from continuous sand dredging at Denton Bridge. Heavy daily truck traffic—reportedly exceeding 100 vehicles—has been blamed for accelerating the deterioration of Banjul’s already fragile roads and infrastructure, while residents voice concerns over coastal erosion and ecological damages.
The planned demonstration represents the latest escalation in a dispute that has left the capital’s local authority claiming it has received nothing from an operation generating hundreds of millions. As the August date approaches, the focus remains on whether authorities will grant the permit and whether the longstanding questions over royalties and environmental safeguards will finally receive answers.
