The Gambia Environmental Alliance (GEA) has issued a strong rebuttal to a report by The Alkamba Times, denying claims that its president accused Village Development Committee (VDC) chairpersons in Kombo South’s coastal villages of receiving salaries or personal favors from Gambia Angola China Holdings (GACH), a mining company operating in the region. The clarification follows a heated response from the VDCs, who condemned GEA’s alleged statements as “false, misleading, and outrageous” in a press release dated June 29, 2025.
In an official statement released today, GEA clarified remarks made by its president, Momodou Inkeh Bah, during an interview on QTV’s This Morning Show.
The organization emphasized that no GEA official directly accused VDC chairpersons of corruption or receiving personal benefits from GACH. Instead, Bah’s comments addressed broader community divisions caused by mining activities. He stated, “This mining has brought a lot of disputes in communities… The direct beneficiaries from the mining companies are the people who keep chanting that we need the miners here, but the rest—over 70 to 80%—don’t benefit and say they don’t want this.”
GEA underscored that its focus was on the environmental and social impacts of what it describes as “illegal and secretive mining,” not personal attacks on individuals. “No GEA official accused any individual of corruption,” the statement read. “Our discussion highlighted the real, lived divisions in communities like Batokunku, Tujereng, and Sanyang, where mining has caused environmental degradation and unequal benefits.” The organization reiterated its commitment to environmental justice, transparency, and community inclusion.
The GEA’s response comes after the Kombo South VDC Chairpersons, led by Abdoulie Botto Gaye, accused the alliance of launching a smear campaign to tarnish their reputation. The VDCs had claimed that GEA’s statements suggested they were receiving salaries, gifts, or job opportunities for family members from GACH, allegations they called “immature and baseless.” They further defended their role as unpaid community leaders tasked with holding GACH accountable for responsible mining practices.
The escalating dispute has intensified scrutiny of GACH’s operations and their impact on the coastal communities of Kombo South. While the VDCs maintain that GACH is fulfilling its social and corporate responsibilities, GEA insists that the majority of residents—up to 80%—see little benefit and oppose mining due to environmental concerns.
