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28/07/2025

Gambians Protest for Accountability, The Government Responds with a Protest!!

By Ndey Jobarteh.

Only in The Gambia will you find a sitting government minister threatening to mobilise a counter-protest, not against injustice or corruption, but against ordinary citizens who dared to exercise their Constitutional right to protest.

Hon. Ebrima Sillah, Minister of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure, has announced that the National People’s Party (NPP) will seek a permit to stage its protest, simply because a Civic Movement, Gambians Against Leadership Abuse (GALA), peacefully took to the streets. This is not democracy in action. This is State power posturing as a Street Gang.

A Government That Fears the People!!

Instead of responding to GALA's demands, which were rooted in truth, transparency, and accountability, Minister Sillah chose the language of fear and threat. He painted protesters as violent, dismissed Diaspora voices, and reduced political opponents to “jobless noise makers who drink tea and make noise on the internet.” And then he warned that the ruling party’s youth would hit the streets. This is not leadership! This is a regime rattled by public awakening!

When the Ruling Party Protests the People!!

This is not just about rights. Yes, in a democracy, everyone, including the ruling party, has the right to protest. But when a sitting government, which controls the police, the army, the courts, the budget, and the media, threatens to mobilise in the streets against the very citizens they govern, we are no longer talking about protest. We are talking about intimidation. We are talking about abuse of power. We are witnessing the slow suffocation of democracy. This is not the NPP defending democracy. This is the NPP defending its grip on power.

Silencing the Diaspora, Ignoring the Constitution!

Minister Sillah’s statement that “only those living in the country will vote” is false and dangerous. The Gambian diaspora: Funds the economy with over $700 million annually in remittances.Sustained the fight for freedom during the Jammeh years.Has every right to speak, protest, and shape the future of The Gambia. To dismiss their voices is not just an insult. It is a calculated attempt to shrink the political space, shut down criticism, and erase global accountability.

Authoritarianism in Slow Motion!!

Sillah openly states that President Barrow “must win in 2026.” That’s not a campaign slogan, that’s a red flag.
In a democracy, no one is entitled to power. Leaders must earn it through ideas, vision, and service, not fear, loyalty, or cult-like declarations. When ministers declare election outcomes in advance, criminalise criticism, and organise street counter-mobs, they are not defending democracy; they are dismantling it.

Don’t Be Fooled, This Is Not About Equal Rights!

Many will say: “But it’s democracy. The NPP has the right too.”Yes, everyone has the right to protest, but context matters.
This is not a group of powerless citizens protesting injustice. This is the ruling elite, backed by taxpayer money, State security, and Executive privilege, threatening to meet peaceful protest with force of numbers.
When the powerful start protesting the powerless, ask yourself:Is this really democracy, or dictatorship with a friendly face?

Gambians Against Looted Assets, GALA Struck a Nerve, That’s Why They’re Panicking!

At its core, this is about one thing, GALA’s message landed.
Their protest exposed the lies, the failures, and the growing fatigue with recycled leadership. It showed that Gambians, home and abroad, are no longer afraid. That is what scared the regime. That is why a Minister has been deployed to issue threats dressed as democracy.

Finally to The Government, The Streets Belong to the People!!

The streets of The Gambia do not belong to NPP.They do not belong to GALA.They belong to the people.
If the Government has nothing to hide, it should welcome protests, not mimic them. If President Barrow’s record is truly so great, let him win on merit, not by drowning out dissent.
Because when a Government fears protests more than it fears corruption, it is no longer governing, it is clinging to power.

The Gambia is waking up. And no amount of counter protests can stop the truth from marching forward.

DEPUTY SPEAKER SIDI NJIE EMPOWERING NPP REGIONAL EXECUTIVE TO PROFIT FROM DESTROYING THE KARTONG ENVIRONMENT AND THREAT...
28/07/2025

DEPUTY SPEAKER SIDI NJIE EMPOWERING NPP REGIONAL EXECUTIVE TO PROFIT FROM DESTROYING THE KARTONG ENVIRONMENT AND THREATENING THE EXISTENCE OF THE VILLAGE!

Open Gambia Platform received information from members of the Kartong Village Development Committee VDC reporting that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), A.M. Yusuf, under the directive from Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative Sidi Njie interfered in the ongoing illegal sand mining case between Kartong VDC, the NPP Regional Chairman, and two others at the Brikama Magistrate's Court.

The statement from the VDC of Kartong indicated that their village, a coastal village in the West Coast Region of The Gambia, is uniquely vulnerable to environmental degradation due to its geographical location, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south, and the Halahin River to the east. This makes the ongoing illegal sand mining led by Lamin Jamba Jammeh (NPP Chairman of West Coast Region), Lamin Bojang (NPP Chairman of Kartong), and Mansour Tabally in the area now poses a grave threat to the very existence of the village.

The VDC members' emphasis on the NPP regional executive members' continuous illegal sand mining caused significant environmental harm, including landscape degradation, habitat destruction, reduced water quality, etc.

The VDC took necessary actions to respond to the devastating impacts of the NPP regional executive's illegal sand mining activities. The VDC launched multiple complaints to the Gunjur police station. Still, they have failed to yield action, as Lamin Jamba Jammeh used their political connections with Deputy Speaker Sidi Njie's support to silence the Gunjur police.

The Gunjur police's lack of action compelled the Kartong VDC to take legal action by suing the illegal miners in court. The case was registered as criminal at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court on June 2, 2025. Still, Deputy Speaker Sidi Njie continues to use his influence and undue authority to pressure the Director of Public Prosecution to interfere in the legal proceedings at the courts to undermine the case against holding the NPP regional executive accountable.

Gambians are witnessing another form of the continued criminality of the Barrow administration, where his political patrons are permitted to loot the resources of the nation, victimise communities, and destroy the livelihood of the people to the extent of threatening the entire community's existence.

Please see the attached photo of the environmental destruction caused by the illegal sand mining at Kartong. We shall separately publish part two of the information concerning the court trials.

Thank you for being a part of the OPEN GAMBIA PLATFORM community. Your support means the world to us! Please follow our page to keep up with our latest posts, and don't forget to hit that like button and share our content with your friends.

You can now write for the Open Gambia Platform, share information anonymously, and join the community. Please share your stories! Anon contributed to the article on July 28th 2025! Contributors' views are strictly personal and not of The OpenGambia Platform!

28/07/2025

VAR!

RE: NPP MINISTER’S COUNTER-PROTEST CALL — A SHAMEFUL ATTACK ON DEMOCRACY AND A DEFENCE OF CORRUPTIONThe Coalition of Pro...
27/07/2025

RE: NPP MINISTER’S COUNTER-PROTEST CALL — A SHAMEFUL ATTACK ON DEMOCRACY AND A DEFENCE OF CORRUPTION

The Coalition of Progressive Gambians (CoPG) strongly condemns the recent actions and utterances of Minister Ebrima Sillah, the current Minister of Works, Transport, and Infrastructure and a senior executive of the National People’s Party (NPP), for calling on party supporters to organise a counter-protest against peaceful anti-corruption advocates.

This reckless move follows public mobilisation by Gambia Anti-Corruption Legal Advocates (GALA), a non-partisan civic platform committed to exposing corruption and promoting transparency. Rather than supporting this national call for accountability, Minister Sillah has chosen to defend the corrupt, attack those calling for justice, and incite partisan resistance.

At a time when Gambians are crying out for principled leadership and decisive action against graft, it is disgraceful that a public servant would weaponize state affiliation for political defense. This is not only morally bankrupt — it is a betrayal of democratic values and a dangerous abuse of office.

OUR POSITION:
• The peaceful civic actions led by GALA are lawful, democratic, and necessary.
• Any counter-protest inspired by the NPP or its ministers is a clear attempt to intimidate citizens and suppress dissent.
• Corruption is not a party matter — it is a national crisis. Defending it is complicity.

CoPG DEMANDS:
1. President Adama Barrow must distance himself from Minister Sillah’s remarks and take disciplinary action for this abuse of power.
2. Government must immediately act on citizen petitions demanding investigations into corruption cases and financial mismanagement.
3. The Anti-Corruption Commission must be given the independence and resources it needs to investigate without fear or favour.
4. The NPP must respect the rights of all Gambians — not just its supporters — to assemble and demand accountability.

TO OUR FELLOW CITIZENS:

We urge every Gambian to see through this dangerous charade. This is not about politics — this is about your future, your dignity, and your right to a country free from theft, nepotism, and injustice.

The CoPG stands firmly with all those advocating for integrity, transparency, and justice in The Gambia. No counter-protest, no propaganda, and no political muscle will silence the people’s cry for change.

WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED.

We remain committed to the peaceful, lawful, and unshakable demand for system change — until corruption is no longer protected, but punished.

The people are watching. And history will not forget.

Issued by:
Coalition of Progressive Gambians (CoPG)

27/07/2025

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In Guinea-Bissau: Family confirms the death of Tano Bari, one of Sissoco Embaló's security guards.Family members of Mama...
26/07/2025

In Guinea-Bissau: Family confirms the death of Tano Bari, one of Sissoco Embaló's security guards.

Family members of Mamado Tano Bari confirmed this afternoon that he has been identified as the deceased whose body was found on the João Landim Bridge in Bissau. Tano Bari was the brother of Tcherninho, former head of security for President Umaro Sissoco Embaló.

The confirmation was given by the victim's older brother during a press conference held at the family home. "We confirm that the body found on the João Landim Bridge belongs to our brother Tano Bari," he said.

Family reports suggest the cause of death may be related to workplace harassment. The victim's brother claimed that Tano Bari had reported being harassed by colleagues, a situation that allegedly forced him to leave the country before the incident occurred.

Bissau, July 26, 2025
By DMG

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