The Banjul-based Edward Francis Small Center for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ) Election Watch has strongly condemned threatening remarks by President Adama Barrow directed at National Assembly Member for Banjul North, Hon. Modou Lamin Biram Bah, during a public meeting in Banjul on 19 October. The civil society group described the comments as incompatible with the President’s constitutional duties, damaging to democratic participation, and a risk factor for repression ahead of the December presidential election.
In his remarks, President Barrow referred to the September protests against prolonged electricity blackouts that began in Banjul and spread across the Greater Banjul Area and West Coast Region. He accused Hon. Bah of seeking to destabilize the country by leading demonstrators. The President invoked the shooting of protesters under former dictator Yahya Jammeh, suggesting that Hon. Bah and other participants owed their safety to his personal tolerance. He further asserted that protests do not take place outside State House and warned Hon. Bah of consequences he “would remember until his death” should similar demonstrations occur again.
EFSCRJ rejected the premise that citizens’ safety depends on presidential goodwill. “Refraining from shooting peaceful protesters is a binding obligation of the State, not an act of generosity,” the group stated. It emphasized that disagreement with government policy does not make a citizen an enemy of the country, and that the President has no authority to threaten punishment outside the law.
The organization pointed to Section 25(1)(d) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to assemble and demonstrate peacefully and without arms. While Section 25(4) permits reasonable restrictions prescribed by law and necessary in a democratic society, EFSCRJ argued that these cannot extinguish the right or shield officials from accountability. No general legal prohibition renders a peaceful protest unlawful simply because it occurs outside a public institution such as State House. The group noted that rules on processions, loudspeakers, access, and security must be distinguished from a blanket ban.
EFSCRJ also addressed Section 59 of the Criminal Offenses Act 2025 on watching and besetting premises, stating it should not be interpreted as automatically criminalizing every peaceful gathering outside an institution. The organization reaffirmed its support for peaceful protest while rejecting violence, threats, and property destruction. Where offenses are reasonably suspected, it insisted that responses must follow lawful investigation and due process.
The invocation of Jammeh-era brutality drew particular criticism. EFSCRJ recalled the killing of student demonstrators in April 2000 and the torture and killing of Solo Sandeng after the April 2016 electoral reform protest as grave abuses that “must never become benchmarks for acceptable presidential conduct.” The group said the democratic promise of “Never Again” requires decisively rejecting that legacy rather than using it as a reference point for current leadership.
EFSCRJ further described the attack on Hon. Bah as part of a troubling pattern observed during the President’s ongoing nationwide tour. Its monitoring has recorded attacks on opposition figures and local government leaders, including Kanifing Municipal Council Mayor and UNITE Party leader Talib Ahmed Bensouda, Brikama Area Council Chairperson Yankuba Darboe, UDP leader Ousainou Darboe, and opposition parliamentarians. The group said citizens expressing grievances or differing opinions have also faced ridicule or hostile responses from the President and ministers.
While acknowledging that the President and his associates are entitled to criticize opponents, EFSCRJ stressed that this freedom carries heightened responsibilities when exercised through the authority and resources of the State. Political disagreement must not descend into disinformation, hate speech, ethnic hostility, threats, or rhetoric that exposes others to violence. Public officials, it added, must respect the lawful mandates of elected councils and parliamentarians, including those controlled by opposition parties.
Section 222(15) of the Constitution requires the President to undertake nationwide tours to familiarize himself with prevailing conditions and the effects of government policies. EFSCRJ argued that turning this publicly funded exercise into a platform for intimidation and campaigning for another term subverts its purpose and deepens incumbency’s unfair advantages. The group said citizens attending these meetings must be able to speak honestly about government performance without fear of humiliation or retaliation.
EFSCRJ called on President Barrow to withdraw the threats against Hon. Bah and apologize to him and affected citizens; publicly affirm the right to peaceful protest and clarify that no security officer or political supporter should interpret his remarks as authorization to intimidate or harm anyone; restore the tour to its constitutional purpose, allowing free expression of grievances; and address the electricity crisis through transparent reporting and measurable action, including public updates on commitments, expenditure, and supply improvements.
The organization also urged the National Assembly, National Human Rights Commission, Independent Electoral Commission, and Inter-Party Committee to address the remarks within their respective mandates. “Demanding electricity is not an attempt to destabilize the country,” EFSCRJ concluded. “Holding leaders accountable is an exercise of citizenship. The President’s duty is to listen, respond, and uphold the law.”
