Hundreds of Gambians have held a protest march on 2nd December 2017, demanding the urgent evacuation of Gambian migrants from Libya, back to their homeland. The procession began at Palma Rima Hotel Junction and ended at the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, along the Bertil Harding Highway. The protesters called on the Government of Adama Barrow to do everything possible, to evacuate their Gambian brothers and sisters who are suffering because they are held against their will in Libya.
Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, a Political Science lecturer at the University of the Gambia, said Government should do everything possible to evacuate ‘‘our Gambian brothers and sisters’’, who are suffering in Libya.
‘‘Government must engage the Libyan authorities through the African Union to make sure our brothers and sisters are sent home”, Dr. Ceesay said.‘‘We want to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are being auctioned and to send this strong message to Government, that what is happening, is unacceptable”, said Dr. Ceesay.
Dr. Ceesay said the current situation that the Gambians are going through in Libya, is disheartening; that the kind of action they want to see from Government, is to condemn the inhumane action of Libyans, in the strongest terms; that those behind the action should be brought to book.The protesters carried banners bearing slogans of all sort such as: ‘‘The slavery, torture and killing of our people in Libya must stop! #We are not slaves.’’ Among the protesters were political activists, people from civil society groups, students of the University of The Gambia and others.
As reported by the International Organisation for Migration, tens of thousands of Gambian youth have embarked on the perilous journey. Since the inception of the Barrow Government, efforts have been made to bring back Gambian migrants who are stranded in Libya.
