By Elizabeth Gomes, Sweden
When Adama Barrow came to power in 2017, Gambians believed the dark days of unchecked police violence were over. But eight years later, the headlines are all too familiar: brutal crackdowns on peaceful protesters, repeated deaths in custody, and a police force wielding tear gas and batons against its own people.
Occupy Westfield. Faraba Banta. Police Anti-Crime Unit. 3 years Jotna. Sukuta. Jabang. Mandinari. These names now echo with pain through Gambian society.
Security sector reform was supposed to break this vicious cycle. But rather than invest in deep reform, the Barrow government doubled down on outdated tactics—stockpiling tear gas, recruiting more officers with minimal training, and ignoring the hard-won recommendations for accountability. Each protest or demand for justice is instead met with force, not dialogue.
Consider the trajectory:
1. Occupy Westfield (November 2017)
• Peaceful protest demanding better electricity and water supply.
• Dispersed forcefully by the Police Intervention Unit (PIU).
2. Faraba Banta anti-pollution protest (18 June 2018)/
• Police opened fire using live ammunition at protesters opposing sand mining, killing two (Bakary Kujabi and Ismaila Bah) and injuring at least six civilians and 16 police officers. Victims (killed):
• Bakary Kujabi, Ismalie Bah, Amadou Nyang-Jawo Victims (injured):
• Masanneh Njie, Salaman Darboe, Jalaman Darboe, Pa Jammeh, Sainey Sonko,
• Sheriffo Touray, Dawda Daffeh, Buba Sanyang, Francis Jambang
National outrage, government promises of justice, and suspension of five police officers. The incident is often cited as a turning point in police-civilian relations under Barrow.
3. Serrekunda Market incident (July 2019)
• Following the death of vendor Ousman Darboe, reportedly due to police brutality, protestors clashed with police.
• Police Intervention Unit used tear gas; multiple arrests (37 protesters).
• Protesters threw stones; police responded with force.
4. OccupyBAC protest (July 2019)
• Youths protested corruption and poor services in Brikama.
• Police dispersed the protest forcefully with arrests.
5. “Three Years Jotna” protest (January 2020)
• Security forces used excessive force and tear gas to disperse activists protesting Barrow’s decision to extend his term.
• Reports indicate three deaths and dozens more injured with broken bones.
• Over 130 protesters, including movement leaders, were arrested and detained.
6. PURA Tariff protest (August 2025)
• Protesters against a sharp data price hike were arrested and reportedly beaten; police were accused of brutal conduct, including assaults on detained activists.
• Human Rights organisations demanded accountability, citing constitutional and human rights violations.
7. Sukuta & Jabang police brutality week (September 2025)
• During a wave of protests and political unrest, police forcefully removed protesters and journalists, used tear gas and physical violence, and raided homes (notably journalist Kadija Bokum’s residence).
• Multiple injuries and civil society condemnation for unchecked police misconduct.
8. Mandinari (September 2025)
• Police operation led to the death of Omar Badjie, with eyewitnesses alleging police beat him while in custody. Police used tear gas and crowd control measures during subsequent protests, causing injuries to youths and bystanders, including women and children.
• The event led to mass unrest, property damage, and calls for an independent investigation by rights groups.
Across these events, the Anti-Crime Unit and Police Intervention Unit have been instrumental in violent crackdowns, detaining peaceful protesters, and using excessive force often without accountability.
Civil society has not been silent. Groups like the National Human Rights Commission and Team Gom Sa Bopa warn that Gambia is sliding back into old, authoritarian habits. Reports document raids, beatings, torture and the deliberate targeting of innocent citizens. Yet, the government offers sympathy and condolences, not justice and reform.
Gambians must NOT accept this as a new normal. As long as the President, the Inspector General of Police, and the Attorney General refuse to hold abusers to account, the promise of “Never Again” rings hollow. The blood and bruises on our streets are not accidents. They result from failed leadership, missed opportunities, and refusing to put people above power.
It is time to demand more. Gambians, the choice is clear: keep silent and accept the chains, or stand together and insist on real reform—justice that does not begin and end with words, but with action. Never again must mean never again—for every family, in every town, across The Gambia.
Let’s continue to pray for the souls of the young men whose lives were cut short to rest in eternal peace.
