The Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA) has announced plans for a large-scale protest tomorrow in Banjul, vowing to escalate their campaign if the 27 activists arrested on Thursday are not released and their demands for transparency over former President Yahya Jammeh’s looted assets are not addressed. The group’s defiance comes after a tense confrontation with the Gambia Police Force’s Intervention Unit (PIU), which detained protesters at the “Never Again” Arch 22, sparking outrage over alleged police misconduct and suppression of free assembly.
GALA, formed in response to The Republic exposé on the opaque sale of Jammeh’s assets, demands that the Ministry of Justice disclose the transactions’ buyers, proceeds, and details. Thursday’s protest saw prominent youth leaders and organisers, including Alhagie Mamadi Kurang, Omar Saibo Camara, Ousainou Gambia, Bob Keita, Kexx Sanneh, Fallu Galaxy Ceesay, and Alieu Bah, arrested and transferred to the PIU headquarters in Kanifing. Journalists covering the event were also attacked, with some briefly detained, prompting condemnation from media organisations like the Gambia Press Union.
“We will not be silenced. “If our comrades are not freed and our demands are ignored, tomorrow’s protest will show the government the people’s resolve. One of the young people who knew about the protest told TAT.
The group has called for supporters to gather again at Arch 22, despite police denying their permit for yesterday’s demonstration.
The arrests have drawn sharp criticism, with activists like Kemeseng Sanneh declaring, “This is just the beginning,” as he was escorted to Kanifing police station. Initially meant for the Attorney General’s Office, GALA’s petition was passed to a second group of protesters yesterday, who vowed to deliver it. The movement’s leaders, including Fallu Galaxy Ceesay, have framed the protests as a broader fight against corruption, accusing the government of shielding those profiting from Jammeh’s stolen wealth.
The Gambia Police Force has faced accusations of unprofessionalism, with reports of journalists being barred from accessing detainees at stations like Brusubi. “Don’t pass; no journalists allowed,” one officer reportedly told The Alkamba Times, raising concerns about press freedom. Sheriffo Bayo Sonko, known as Sonko Gambia among the detained, denied charges of unlawful assembly, insisting the protest was a lawful exercise of their rights.
Tomorrow’s planned protest could test the government’s response amid growing public discontent. GALA’s demands align with broader calls for accountability in Gambia, nearly a decade after Jammeh’s 2017 ouster. The group’s threat of a massive demonstration signals a refusal to back down, with organizers urging citizens to join “to free our country from corruption’s grip.”
As pressure mounts, President Adama Barrow’s administration faces a critical juncture. The outcome—whether the release of detainees or a crackdown on tomorrow’s protest—could shape Gambia’s democratic trajectory. For now, GALA’s resolve remains unshaken, with the nation bracing for what could be a defining moment in its fight for transparency.
