The release of Kartong youths who were arrested over a week ago after a brief demonstration to stop sand mining in their village is a welcome gesture. The President’s intervention before 33 youths appear in court to order their release is a step in the right direction. Every genuine Gambians must welcome the news and certainly it makes the President a better leader than the force and confrontational nature we have seen in previous incidents.
The youths were to appear at the Brikama magistrate court today December 1st with their representatives to answer to charges of disturbing the peace among others. However, after series of meetings between the authorities and the people of Kartong in town hall meetings the President ordered the immediate unconditional release of the youths. The town hall meetings with the authorities were well attended by the Kartong people further showing their commitment and determination to address the issue of sand mining.
Many Gambians believe that the youths should never have been arrested in the first place since they were simply exercising their constitutional rights to protest against what they see as erosion of their environment. It is important to note that sand mining in Kartong and surrounding villages have been going on for over 15 years. The circumstances surrounding the mining continue to be clouded as the people do not know who owns the companies and whether tax payers are benefiting from the proceeds of the mining. Many believe that the company registered to mine sand in the area is in fact own by President Jammeh. This is a direct conflict of interest and the President’s own businesses cannot compete with local businesses.
The arrest of the youths created a lot of tension between the villagers and the authorities and it also picked up steam in the Diaspora where activists seized the opportunity to highlight the continuous corruption and political oppression Gambians are being subjected to under this regime. Many claims that the authorities are using the incident to continue to stifle dissent and crack down on citizens who wants to exercise their rights to free speech and assembly. The situation also began to attract international attention with Amnesty International releasing a statement asking for the immediate release of the youths who were out to protect their environment. They were referred to in many quarters as environmental activists which coincidentally happened to be the week world leaders are meeting on climate change in France. The Gambian leader is notably absent from the summit in Paris which is being attended by over 150 world leaders. The President must have realized that any further crackdown on the youths will only attract negative publicity and attention on a regime that is already highly criticized for its human rights records.
The Kartong situation was a ticking time bomb as political tension continues to increase in the small West African country. Close sources reported that neighboring villages in the same coastal area such as Gunjur, Sanyang, Brufut and other surrounding villages were also experiencing similar environmental degradation and land seizure by the president. It is believed that the President has taken ownership of much traditionally owned land and turned them into his personal property. The owners of these lands are very much aware of their properties and families have been divided and in fighting intensify between those who support the authorities and those who oppose it. Conflict of interest of elected officials is also a contributing factor.
As we go to press it is encouraging to see families reunited and the tension hopefully averted for a longer term solution. It is critical that the authorities take the discontent of the villagers very seriously and address the issues that have been raised. Across the country there are several communities experiencing similar issues of environmental degradation to the extent that many people’s houses were demolished by the authorities without compensation. Any responsible government will not go about demolishing people’s houses without first consulting with them or at the very least compensating them for the loss of their properties. The government needs to investigate all complains of people losing their land and houses and address them forthwith. It appears thought President Jammeh is getting more and more conscious of political tension and as a result he is responding to avert any out of control situation. It is however important to note that the safety and security of the nation is directly tied to that of individual citizens. The President should go further to order the release of the two Imams who are still in detention for over a month. All political prisoners must be released and the political environment leveled to give peace a chance. Unnecessary arrests and detention can only create more resentment against the government.