By Yankuba Jallow
Some Kanilai residents on Saturday came out in their numbers and asked two yellow vehicles belonging to the United Democratic Party (UDP) to leave the village.
Videos circulating online showed that UDP’s Deputy National Organising Secretary Ebrima Dibba was in one of the vehicles and he claimed that he sustained injuries from the incident.
The two vehicles were on what the UDP called “Monitoring Team” of the ongoing voter registration.
“I got assaulted by the people of Kanilai. They denied us entry, beat us and assault, but it is all part of life. We are doing this for our country and we will not relent. We will continue working for our country and make sure we salvage Gambia from this kind of situation,” Dibba was quoted in one of the videos.
He was taken to the Bwiam Hospital. People were seen hitting Mr Dibba from the backside of his head.
Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, the party leader and presidential candidate for UDP said. “They threw stone at the UDP 2021 vehicle and broke the glass. The stone also landed on Ebrima Dibba’s hand.”
However, Dibba in the video in which he was explaining the incident did not claim that his hand was broken.
In reaction to the incident, the Gambia Police Force on Saturday wrote:
“IGP NOTES WITH GREAT CONCERN THE KANILAI INCIDENT, URGES THE PUBLIC TO EXERCISE RESTRAINT WHILST INVESTIGATIONS BEGIN.
“The Inspector General’s Office has received reports of an incident of attack on a United Democratic Party voter registration monitoring team at Kanilai in the morning hours of today Saturday 3rd July 2021.
“The public is hereby informed that the scene of the incident has been visited and necessary documentation done. An investigation has been opened into the matter and appropriate actions will follow.
“We call on the public particularly residents of Kanilai and surroundings to exercise maximum restraint and desist from further escalation of the situation.
“The cooperation and understanding of the public are highly solicited.”
