By Nelson Manneh
More than 16 youth activists were arrested and briefly detained by police in the Gambian capital on Sunday, after attempting to stage a protest demanding greater transparency in the disposal of assets seized from former President Yahya Jammeh.
The arrests took place at Arch 22, Banjul, where members of a group known as Gambians Against Looted Assets, or GALA, had gathered in defiance of a denied police permit. The group had called on the government to publicly disclose a full inventory of Jammeh’s forfeited properties, the terms of their sale, and the identities of the buyers.
“Simply disclose the full list of Jammeh’s assets, their value, sale prices, and those who bought them,” one protester told Foroyaa, a local newspaper. “If the Government cannot do that, it will be a manifestation that they were part of the unlawful sellers and buyers of the said assets.”
The protest followed the publication of an explosive investigative article by The Republic titled “The Assets of Gambia’s Former Dictator Go for a Song.” The report detailed allegations that assets belonging to the former autocrat were being sold far below market value, with current government officials allegedly facilitating sales to themselves, relatives, and associates.
In response, GALA submitted a request for a protest permit to the Gambia Police Force, but the application was denied without explanation, organizers said.
“We decided not to use any loudspeakers or form a large group. Those who came early were picked up,” one of them said.
The police, in a brief statement issued by their Communications Department, confirmed that “more than 16 individuals linked to an unauthorized protest organized by a group identified as Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA)” had been apprehended at the scene. The statement said the protest was held “despite the denial” of a permit by the Office of the Inspector General of Police. The police added that those arrested refused to disclose their identities during questioning, and noted that further arrests had been made.
Although the specific charges have not been made public, journalists present at the Banjul Police Station were informed that the detainees faced at least two criminal counts.
The protesters had planned to deliver a formal petition to the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General’s Chambers. The petition, titled “Urgent Call for Transparency and Accountability in the Sale of Former President Yahya Jammeh’s Assets,” invokes constitutional and statutory provisions, including Section 25(1)(f) of the 1997 Constitution and The Access to Information Act of 2021.
In the petition, GALA describes the asset recovery process as opaque and riddled with irregularities. “These assets—recovered in the name of justice and national healing—were meant to symbolize accountability and restitution for the Gambian people,” the petition reads. “Instead, the opaque disposal process, potential insider dealings, and failure to keep the public informed now threaten to undermine public trust and discredit the entire exercise.”
The petition outlines five major demands:
- A full and unredacted publication of all forfeited assets, including sale prices, buyer identities, and valuation methodologies.
- Disclosure of how the proceeds from these sales have been allocated or spent.
- The creation of an independent oversight body comprising representatives from the National Assembly, National Audit Office, and civil society to review past and future asset sales.
- The immediate withdrawal of the nomination of former Justice Minister Abubacarr Ba Tambadou to the International Criminal Court, citing his alleged role in overseeing the flawed asset disposal process.
- A public address by President Adama Barrow to clarify the administration’s position and commitment to transparency.
The Ministry of Justice has yet to respond publicly to the petition, but GALA’s actions have stirred broader national conversation about the legacy of the Jammeh regime and the credibility of transitional justice reforms in the Barrow administration.
“These revelations are far more than administrative lapses—they are a pivotal test of our national commitment to truth, justice, and the democratic ideals we cherish,” the petition concludes. “We call on all public institutions to rise to this challenge and show that impunity will no longer find refuge in the New Gambia.”
As of Thursday, all detained protesters had not reportedly been released.
