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| #OccupyWestfield Official logo |
Gambia: Barrow government breaks promise to
protect citizens’ right to peaceful protest and freedom of assembly
Banjul November 5, 2017-
President Adama Barrow has reverted to the ways of his predecessor, dictator
Yahya Jammeh, whose intolerance for criticism and disdain for protest, locked
the tiny African nation in a rule of terror for 22 years. Matters came to a head on Sunday
November 5th, when the Ministry of Interior deployed military and
police units to Westfield, in the Kanifing Municipality, a densely populated
area, which hosts the majority of businesses, and residents. The move by the Interior minister Fatty, was
to deter public service delivery protests from going ahead, and intimidate the
organizers and supporters in the process.
The Inspector
General of Police denied the group a permit to peacefully gather at Westfield,
through the use of the Public Order Act, a law that Jammeh relied on in
suppressing freedom. This was the same
law that was used to jail the entire United Democratic Party leadership, which
ironically saw President Barrow ascend into the position of leadership,
ultimately becoming president.
“What this new government is doing is very
disappointing as it is worrying. They
are showing tendencies of a dictatorship, with their disdain for dissent. It has not even been a year since we kicked
out a previous dictator, who was notorious for levels of intolerance for
citizens’ rights,” said Alieu Bah, the leader of
the Occupy movement.
Occupy Westfield’s
call for a nationwide protest is due to the dismal failure of the water and
electricity company, which continues to plunge the country in darkness, a
situation that has worsened under the Barrow administration. Although the new
administration is not responsible for the technical insolvency of the
electricity and water company, which has been unable to deliver basic supply of
water and electricity for almost 40 years, it is nevertheless, obligated to
respect the constitution, which allows for citizens to peacefully gather and
express themselves, in whatever form, as long as such assembly is lawful. Added
to this caveat, the current leadership of the United Democratic Party, which is
now in power in a coalition government, challenged the very act that it is
using to suppress the rights of Gambian’s to protest poor service
delivery. The case is currently at the
Supreme Court.
“The contradictions of this government are now clear
for all to see. They say one thing, and
do the complete opposite. Their
credibility levels are diminishing by the day, which is disappointing for
people like me that stood up to the previous dictatorship,” said Ali Cham- aka: Killa Ace, an activist, and the first musician
exiled for standing up to Jammeh’s dictatorship in 2015.
A year ago, in
the run up to the presidential elections, President Barrow, through the opposition
coalition, made a specific pledge to repeal the notorious Public Order
Act. The coalition’s manifesto
explicitly stated that: "Public
Order Act, Laws of The Gambia 2009 gives too much power to the Inspector
General of Police and does fetter freedom of association and assembly. The
Coalition government will repeal any provision in the Public Order Act which is
not reasonable and justifiable in a democratic society such as those which
hinder peaceful procession to highlight public grievances which is the main
tool for exercising civil society oversight over the governance
process."
It seems that
the Barrow administration has forgotten that pledge. #OccupyWestfield, is not
deterred by the show of heavy-handedness by the government under President
Barrow. The group’s right to freedom of
assembly and the right to protest will not be surrendered. The Gambia government has an obligation to
promote and protest these rights. The
1997 constitution guarantees us these rights, as do the plethora of regional,
continental and international treaties.
The fact that President Barrow, made
several undertakings to uphold the rights of all Gambians, when he addressed
the continental rights body last week, which Banjul continues to host, should
at least prod this government to lead by example in respecting the rights of
its citizens as enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’
Rights. Article 11 of the Charter
states: Every individual shall have the
right to assemble freely with others. The exercise of this right shall be
subject only to necessary restrictions provided for by law in particular those
enacted in the interest of national security, the safety, heath, ethics and
rights and freedom of others.
The #OccupyWestfield
Movement is not a threat to anyone. We
have made this absolutely clear, to a point whereby our weapon of choice is a
candle- something that signifies peace, spirituality, and power of the human
spirit to endure in difficulty and preserver with hope. But our candles are
being met with guns, bullets and batons.
Our supporters for peaceful protest are being met with soldiers that are
ready to unleash violence. Our calls for
our rights to be respected as we demand for better service delivery, in the
process asserting our rights to access basic electricity and water, are being
ignored and silenced. This was what
former President Jammeh practiced with great success, in the process turning
The Gambia into a state of fear and terror.
This is something that we will not accept. This is unlawful and tyrannical in every
respect. We will exercise our
rights. We will continue to call for
better service delivery and asserting our fundamental right to assemble, and to
express ourselves.
For more
information please contact: +220 7571117, +220 7309494, +220 7202981
Background:
Key dates and timelines:
October 26-
Alieu Bah, a Gambian citizen posted a message on Facebook using the hashtag
#OccupyWestfield, which called on Gambians to gather and protest the lack of
service delivery (water and electricity);
October 31- the
#Occupywestfield group applied for a permit from the Inspector General of
Police to proceed with its planned protest, which would take the form of a
candlelight vigil;
November 1- the
Intelligence Agency invited the members of the group to an interview. The meeting was meant to “screen” the
members, and personal details were taken;
November 2- A
meeting was held with the IGP, and other security chiefs, where the application
for a permit was denied;
November 3- Meeting
with the Minister of Interior, Mr Mai Fatty;
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About #OccupyWestfield:
#OccupyWestfield
is not a formal organization but a shared desire, even as it is a shared grievance,
for the very basics of life namely: water and electricity. It’s a rallying call
that took a life of it’s own and became a movement. It started as a hashtag on
facebook for Gambian ctitzens to come out and protest peacefully and share
their frustrations. It has since grown into a movement with a coordinating
committee.
