Gambians protest corruption following recent scandals

Thousands of Gambians protested Wednesday in Banjul alleging government corruption and calling for justice over a number of scandals that have rocked the country.

The protesters carried handwritten placards with slogans such as "Gambians are not slaves to corruption" as they chanted slogans such as "People! Power!"

"We have been living under pillage and plunder for so long, and corruption is endemic in this country", Fallou Gallas Ceesay, program and administrative director for the youth movement Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), told AFP.

Demonstrators in Gambia presented petition letters to several government ministries, the office of the president and the National Assembly. By MUHAMADOU BITTAYE (AFP)

The organisation, which staged the protest at Westfield Monument, a downtown landmark popular for demonstrations, said it was demanding accountability and calling on President Adama Barrow to tackle corruption.

"We have seen so many investigations that have exposed a lot of alleged corruption in this country and the president is not doing anything about it", demonstrator Sucre Mike told AFP.

The demonstrators presented petition letters to several government ministries, the office of the president and the National Assembly.

One of the petitions, which was handed to the Ministry of Health, concerned some 70 children aged five and under who died in 2022 after taking an over-the-counter cough syrup made by India-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals.

Youth movement GALA staged the protest in Banjul to call on President Adama Barrow to tackle corruption. By MUHAMADOU BITTAYE (AFP)

Another petition was delivered to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy concerning a Russian oil deal in which government officials allegedly received kickbacks.

"It's not only the youths who turned out today, it the entire country to ensure that corruption becomes the thing of the past", said GALA spokesman Omar Saibo.

Among other points protested were financial scandals including Covid 19 funding and a Gambia Ports Authority embezzlement scheme.