The Gambia today is at a crossroads. The democratic promise that many Gambians hold dear — freedom of expression, accountability, and rule of law — seem to be under serious strain. Recent events reveal a tension between constitutional guarantees and governmental practice, and this tension threatens to unravel some of the gains made since the end of the Jammeh era.
Just consider the protests against the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA)’s policy to impose a minimum data-price floor. When mobile data costs were raised sharply, young people, civil society groups, and activists took to the streets in protest — asserting that access to affordable internet is more than a convenience, it is essential for learning, for livelihoods, and for free speech. But the state response was heavy-handed: mass arrests under the Public Order Act, remands under questionable bail conditions, delays, and court charges such as control of procession.
We also see mounting frustration over selective justice. While activists and youth are arrested for protesting or demanding transparency, many Gambians note that public officials accused of corruption or misuse of public assets often escape accountability. The case of Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA) is illustrative: a protest over the sale of former dictator Yahya Jammeh’s assets triggered arrests, even though the public demanded clarity about whether assets are being sold at fair value.
These developments raise urgent questions: is the state using old legal tools like the Public Order Act to limit protest rather than to protect public safety? Are court remands and delays being used to punish dissent? Are constitutional rights — to assemble, to speak, to demand transparency — being honoured in practice, or merely in law?
Democracy is more than having elections; it is about how power is exercised day to day. When citizens fear arrest for peaceful protest, when transparency is delayed or denied, when the rule of law seems uneven, trust frays.
For The Gambia to hold true to its democratic aspirations, it must reinforce its institutions: reforming laws that permit abuse, ensuring courts are independent and timely, protecting civil society, and making accountability real — not rhetorical. Only then can the promise of democracy become genuinely inclusive.
The urgency of this matter cannot be overstated.
