By Kebba AF Touray
The Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, Rohey John Manjang, has confirmed to the National Assembly that a 2.5-hectare portion of Salagi Forest Park has been temporarily allocated to GACH Group as a depot for basalt.
Minister Manjang made this confirmation on Wednesday 12 March, 2025 while responding to the Member for Sanneh Mentereng, Hon. Fatou Cham, who asked about the grounds on which the Sukuta Salagi Forest was allocated to Abubacarr Jawara.
The allocation raised concern in the community of Sukuta, the indigenous settlers.
According to Minister Manjang, her Ministry received a letter from GACH Group, requesting to use a portion of Salagi Forest Park as a depot for basalt.
The request, she said, was forwarded to the Director for Forestry for review and to issue a temporary allocation if it’s within the Forest Act 2018.
She said: “After reviewing the request from the GACH Group, the Director for Forestry approved a temporary allocation of 2.5 hectares to GACH Group, for storage of basalt in accordance with section 82 of the Forest Act 2018.”
Manjang stressed that the Salagi forest park covers an area of 262 hectares, and as such, the area temporarily allocated to GACH is less than 1 percent of the total area.
She reported to the assembly that on the 4th of November 2024, she received a delegation from Sukuta Village Development Committee, Kombo Yiriwa Kafo and the Gambia Environment Alliance to discuss the temporary allocation of 2.5 hectares.
“My team had a frank and fruitful discussion with the delegations notwithstanding, section 82 of the Forest Act 2018. In November 2024, the National Environment Agency issued a provisional environmental approval to GACH Group, for temporary storage of basalt at Salagi Forest Park,” she averred.
In January, 2025, the ministry received the representatives of Sukuta, The Gambia Environment Alliance and Kombo Yiriwaa Kafo for further discussions on the matter, Manjang said.
“It was explained to them that Salagi Forest Park is a state forest under the sole management of the Department of Forestry, and not a community forest for the avoidance of doubts, in line with the Forest Act 2018,” she further elucidated.
She finally explained that the process of temporary allocation was explained to them, which they appeared to understand (in her view), and “the meeting ended in an agreeable manner.”
