By Sanna Camara
The year2026 will be 200 years since the establishment of a military fort in Barra, north of the island capital of Banjul, The Gambia. Archival documents seen by this investigation revealed that the whole of the fort and its immediate land area, measuring 62,964.546 square metres was gazetted as a national heritage by an Act of the National Assembly on 8th June 1999, presented by then Minister of Youths, Sport and Culture, Aminah Faal-Sonko.
This investigation can reveal that the Ministry of Lands, acting on behalf of the Barrow government, has allocated parts of this land to a Turkish investment Group, NEGMAR, to construct a new ferry-landing terminal and operate ferry services in The Gambia. This was confirmed by the Minister of Works, Transportation and Infrastructure, Ebrima Sillah, in an interview at his office.
However, the Village Development Committee (VDC of Barra) stands opposed to this project, decrying the environmental and social impacts on the community of Barra. They also lamented the manner this land was allocated to a private firm to operate ferry services in Barra. The deputy vice chairman of the Barra VDC, Mohamed Njie, popularly called Uncle Foday, denied having an agreement with the firm with regard to the use of the land area of Fort Bullen for the purpose of ferry services.
The VDC prefers these services be relocated to other places such as Albreda, where earlier studies have revealed a more viable option to Barra, to avoid further pollution, degradation of destruction of marine life, endanger the heritage site through heavy vehicular traffic without related activities. Hence a conflict has arisen from the two sides of Barra and NEGMAR over the use of this land, even though the government has already given green lights to use the area in question.
“An old mentality about development with communities where cola nuts are presented to elders to announce a project and seek approval is no longer a case in development paradigm,” Njie said at a VDC meeting convened at the fort, comprising VDC members in the presence of this reporter. “This is exactly what the NEGMAR delegation did in Barra, totally sidelining the VDC in their consultations,” he explained.
“Between NEGMAR and the government, most of the information about this project is kept from us as VDC, either deliberately ignoring our role in the community or for other reasons,” said Awa Jagne, assistant public relations officer of the Barra VDC. Both geology and environmental surveys conducted had produced reports but never shown to Barra, be it VDC or the alkalo on behalf of the community.
Gambia Government permission
In an interview at his office last week, Hali Gai, a renowned national transportation expert who also served as deputy managing director of Gambia Ferry Services until retirement in 2020, explained that they have been issued an environmental certificate, Serial Number NEA-/TSN-/129-/126-416-/01-003823, satisfying conditions to begin their operations at the water point. However, he would not disclose the details of the licence. Rather, he maintains that we contact the NEA.
Our enquiry into details of the environmental and social impact assessment of the project to the National environment Agency (NEA) has not been successful as at the time of going to press.
Mr Gai, meanwhile, explained that The Gambia government has granted NEGMAR permission to operate in the Banjul-Barra waterway after several efforts to fulfil requirements. A part of this includes, cabinet approval following an inter-ministerial task force set up to the effect during the tenure of Bai Lamin Jobe as minister of works and transportation.
“We initially wanted to partner with the Gambia Ferry Services to operate in Banjul-Barra crossing,” Gai explained. “But this was rejected by the GFS, and we were advised to apply for a permit from government through Gambia Maritime Services (GMS) for all regulatory formalities to operate a private ferry service,” he added.
According to Gai, approval for operations over the Banjul-Barra waterway was granted in 2022. Several sites were identified at both Banjul and Barra points for landing of the ferries. He admitted that while Barra had environmental and social concerns for the project, Banjul, located right next to former Radio Syd location, had none.
This information was also confirmed by Minister Ebrima Sillah, who explained that government indeed gave clearance for the NEGMAR Group.
Barra heritage development plans
The concerns for the heritage site preservation were pursued through the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and the National Centre for Arts and Culture, Gai explained, noting that correspondence and consultations with Unesco further led to approval for the use of the site – a decision that directly conflicts with development plans of the Barra VDC, who had also developed their own heritage management plans for the fort – something the Barra VDC affirmed, they will not allow to continue at the expense of Barra.
“NEGMAR came here to begin their works without any consultation with the alkalo or VDC, latter of which under the Local Government Act, is the entry point for all development initiatives in a local community,” Aba Hydara, deputy head of Fort Bullen Ward, explained.
“NEGMAR began dredging on the coastline and the alkalo confronted them on how they acquired the lands for such works. After several persistence from the villagers against the dredging works, NEGMAR was finally forced to engage with the villagers. We called for a meeting between NEGMAR and the villagers, where several concerns and questions were raised, to which they could not provide satisfactory answers,” Hydara said.
The Fort Bullen Ward in Barra is an industrial park and the only non-residential ward of the village: it comprises the fort, the old Travelling Commissioner’s residence that was renovated and managed by the NCAC; the old cooperative residences, GPMB facilities, fisheries plant, and an eco-lodge.
VDC demands from NEGMAR include employment numbers for Barra youths, direct road construction for congested vehicular traffic, 15 canteens for traders at the crossing point, two waste trucks for the community, practical solutions for the ensuing environmental hazards emanating from a second ferry terminal operating within 50 metres of each other in the same village, including water erosions. A letter was addressed to the NEGMAR investors stating these conditions.
In a response, NEGMAR had not agreed to any of the conditions outlined by the VDC, instead stating they will only commit once they begin operations and realised profits from such operations.
Notwithstanding, the private ferry “will pose heavy environmental hazards,” as Barra is a low water area. Waste from the ferries, the stalls, garages and the marine lives will further accumulate on the already exacerbating situations. The village has no streetlights and no street planning, the VDC lamented at the meeting convened under a tree just next to the fort.
“Geological and environmental impact assessments would reveal it is inappropriate for such a ferry operation. Also, the Kerewan Area Council does not represent Barra’s development interests – Barra is the key source of revenue for the council – yet, it is the most neglected among all the settlements on the north bank, for both the council and government development,” Councillor Aba Hydara lamented.
Fort Bullen as national heritage
An initiative of the heritage and community advocates in Barra is the development of a 2021 to 2029 development plan for the village. This plan, based on a heritage management concept of the fort, envisages employment opportunities especially for the artisanal women, traditional sports arena, such as wrestling for the youths, construction of a jetty to dock boats that would travel to Senegal and Jinack islands from Barra, a district museum and conference centre, an art gallery, and a mini park for kids. All these plans are now threatened by the NREGMAR project, that will be operating through the same space identified for the heritage management plan.
Meanwhile, the National Centre for Arts and Culture, as custodians of the national heritage sites said they have been informed by government of the land being assigned to the NEGMAR project in 2022. This is the same year that Mr Hali Gai said government approved their application for permit.
Hassoum Ceesay, executive director of the NCAC explained that these operations touched only a part of the fort, a space between the former travelling commissioner’s residence, built in 1938, and the fort, that would be 200 years old in 2026. It is a government-approved project, so the centre’s main concern has primarily been on the heritage sites. Ceesay said he always insisted on three things: leave them alone!
“The works and operations are not going to touch the main structures, rather to operate and co-exist side by side in a popularly clichéd slogan, ‘win-win’ situation,” he said, in an interview at his office in Banjul.
“The structures are non-negotiable and untouchable. We have made this known to both government and the investors. We demand that the heritage remains untouched,” Ceesay said.
As heritage managers, he said their training tells them that heritage and development are not mutually exclusive: meaning NCAC can protect the fort and national heritage site while the investors can have their ferry landing: “We don’t want the heritage to be seen as anti-development,” Ceesay said.
“I accept the fact that the project will have environmental impact on the heritages, including erosion. However, what we have done, and made known to them, is that it is the duty of both the operators and NCAC to mitigate this. The contractor has accepted that as a part of the social responsibility,” Ceesay explained.
Fort Bullen is the only structure of its kind in West Africa: built purposely to end the slave trade in 1826. One of the historical legacies of the fort was one of resistance, at the “Battle of Barra,” also called the British-Niumi War – where the fort provided the British sanctuary from the King of Barra. The British wanted to annex Barra on to Banjul for both trade and military purposes, which the king opposed, leading to a conflict and subsequently, a war broke out between 1831 and 1832.
Convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage
In a National Assembly Proceeding of Thursday 22nd September, 2022 (Bills and Motions, No 3 and 4 of the official Hansard Records), then Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Hamat NK Bah, presented to the National Assembly to ratify the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, Paris, 2021. He spoke passionately to the country’s legislature about The Gambia’s commitment to preserving heritages of cultural, historical and ecological significance:
“The Gambia Atlantic coast line contains rich underwater heritage that attest to the ancient civilization of our people and its witnesses to historical relationship between The Gambia, Gambian society and outsiders including the Portuguese, the British, the French, the Spanish, the Dutch, etc,” he said.
Underwater cultural heritage can include ancient shipwrecks in the River Gambia including slave ships to the new world. Also, the various wharfs along The Gambia River during the colonial rule, such as the Karal wharf in Nianija, the Bintang in Foñi , Pirai Tenda in Tumana, Kuntaur in Niani, Niani Maro in Nianija, Fatoto Tenda in Kantora, Fata Tenda in Wuli East, MacCarthy Island, Kossemar in Jimara, Bambali in Sanjal, Bellingo in Jarra West, Tankularr in Kiang West, Basse Tenda, all form a part of the country’s underwater cultural heritage resources.
According to Minister Bah, the convention will also assist The Gambia Government to work with Unesco to survey and locate all wells in old settlements which are fully protected by the convention if they are 100 years old – Tenni Jangu in Barra, Lower Niumi was cited as a good example.
“This well shall be sign-posted and explained to enrich our local history,” the minister told the Assembly. Unfortunately, that well is now targeted for burying and concrete flooring, to give way to the NEGMAR ferry operations.
Councillor Aba Hydara, meanwhile, maintained that the works have clearly threatened the marine lives around the fort, such as the diverse fish species that breed under the rocks that make up the base of the forte. “Heavy vehicular traffic will cause noise and air pollution, assert heavy pressure on the rocks where the fort and Barra reside, as well as erosions.
The Gambia National Arts and Culture Policy and the NCAC Act 2003, have fully domesticated the 2001 conventions on heritage preservations. Hence this new conflict is showing several dimensions, that deserves a solution.
The Minister of Transportation, Works and Infrastructure, Mr Ebrima Sillah said the Barrow government is “a listening” government: “We are not aware of any environmental consequences of the decision to assign the land to NEGMAR,” Sillah said.
However, he said when there are concerns from Barra residents, these should be communicated in writing to the authorities in government for consideration of the government.
