The Gambia government has banned Operation 3-Years Jotna from operating within its shores.
The ban news is contained in a press statement issued by the Government Spokesman. This comes after the group had earlier conducted peaceful protest calling President Adama Barrow to honour the Coalition 2016 Memorandum of Understanding. But Operation 3-Years Jotna’s Sunday’s protest turned violent, with protesters reportedly burning tires as well as pelting stones at Police Intervention Unit officers who responded with unloading teargas to disperse the crowd.
Read below The Gambia government’s statement in full:
Office of The Gambia Government Spokesperson
The Gambia Government Bans ‘Operation 3-Years Jotna’ with Immediate Effect
Press Release Dated: Sunday 26th January, 2020
Banjul, The Gambia—The Gambia Government renders Operation 3-Years Jotna, a subversive, violent and Illegal Movement and hereby bans the movement from ever operating within the shores of The Gambia.
Members of the public are hereby notified that in fact, the Jotna Movement was never legally registered but Government in exercise of its openness and adherence to the democratic rights of citizens, allowed them to operate so long as their activities were consistent with the law.
Tonight, The Gambia Government wishes to inform citizens, members of the public, the Diplomatic and Consular Corps that Operation 3-Years Jotna is rendered a subversive, violent and an Illegal Movement that has all the attributes of a subversive group determined to illegally unseat the constitutionally elected Government of President Adama Barrow and is therefore, banned forthwith.
Therefore, citizens and businesses or other groups and entities that are seen to be aiding and abetting the activities of this illegal Movement masquerading as a Pressure Group are warned to immediately seize their relationship(s). Henceforth, any person, Radio Station, business or group that chooses to do business with Operation 3-Years Jotna and or promote their agenda will be in violation of this pronouncement and will face severe consequences.
The Gambia Government also announces the suspension of Brikama-based Home Digital FM and Tallinding Kunjang-based King FM radio stations pending the outcome police investigations that these stations violated their licenses. Government notes with concern that the two FM stations have demonstrated notoriety for peddling incendiary messages and allowed their media to be used as platforms for inciting violence, fear-mongering and live broadcasts urging Gambians to join Jotna demonstrators all calculated to threaten the security and safety of The Gambia.
Meanwhile, Pa Modou Bojang, the Proprietor of Brikama-based Home Digital Fm and Mr. Gibbi Jallow, the Manager of King FM are helping the Police in their investigations. The Gambia Government urges all citizens and members of the public to stay away from these stations.
The Gambia Government also announces that police have arrested some 137 people among them, Executive members. Some are in hiding while others are attempting to flee the jurisdiction. Regional Governors, Chiefs and local district authorities are urged to report any suspects to the nearest police station and the public is warned that it is a violation of the law to harbor any fugitives from justice.
The Gambia Government regrets to report that while there were no fatalities, some people sustained non-life threatening injuries among them 18 paramilitary officers and 7 civilians, most of whom have since been discharged.
Accordingly, The Gambia Government urges all citizens and residents to remain calm and law abiding as the situation is under total control. The audio messages and false reports trending on social media about fatalities is all propaganda as not a single person died during today’s demonstration.
Signed,
Ebrima G Sankareh
The Gambia Government Spokesperson
Ends
Dear Editor,
It has now been officially confirmed and acknowledged by every responsible and genuine citizen who cares about democracy and rule of law that President Adama Barrow is indeed an ignorant dictator who is only interested in self-perpetuating rule. President Barrow has demonstrated on many different levels that he is not different from his predecessor, former President Jammeh who has ruled The Gambia with iron fist characterized by horrendous human rights violations and economic exploitation. The behavior of The Gambia police force during yesterday’s peaceful protest is once a genuine reminder that President Barrow has perfected his ulterior deeds to return the country to Jammeh’s era dictatorship which symbolized suppression of freedom of speech, association and political assembly. Under President Barrow, we have seen how government continues to lie on daily basis to deceive citizens in order to promote their illegal activities. The Gambia government lied once again when they claimed that the peaceful protesters violated the terms of permit given for peaceful demonstration. In fact , there are various reports which suggested that Barrow Youth Movement infiltrated the Three years Jotna Movement and provoked the peaceful protesters or The peaceful protesters were attacked before they could even assembled. This has resulted to the use of tear gas by The Gambia Police Force to disperse the crowd of peaceful protesters and eventual violence confrontation between the Three Jotna Movement , Barrow Youth Movement supported by The Gambia Police force . Thus , the collaboration between the Barrow Youth Movement and The Gambia Police Force was designed to end the long sustained calls for President Barrow to honor the election promise he made to the Gambian people during 2016 presidential election. It was the spirit of accountability, decency and absolute integrity that three years Jotna movement pressures President Barrow to honor his promise he has made with coalition leaders and the Gambian people. This is the constitutional right of the three years Jotna Movement but if President Barrow refuses to honor his words, he shouldn’t have used violence tactic to target Three years Jotna movement. The use of Police brutality to suppress voices of citizenry has never succeeded in any society . In fact police brutality and government used of violence strategy for political oppression always embolden the citizenry. This was demonstrated in The Gambia during 23 years of military dictatorship. Jammeh’s regime tactic of using violence campaign to suppress divergent political views resulted to systematic campaign by the opposition both within and outside the country that showcased human rights violations and economic exploitation The Gambia was experiencing at the time as its evidences are presenting in TRRC and shown in Janneh’s Commission. The despite former government long sustained violence campaign against citizens, the former President Jammeh and his cronies were ultimately defeated and he now disgracefully live in exile in Equatorial Guinean where he continues to agitate.
President Barrow is not Former President Jammeh who has more military support and political capital when we compare the two leaders. Therefore , it is a clear stupidity for President Barrow and his cronies to embark on the same route Jammeh took and not expect any challenge , confrontation or agitation from the masses. After 22 years of lies and deceptions , The Gambian people are sick and tired of leaders who lies on daily basis just to stay in power longer than they have promised. President Adama Barrow is a liar who should never be trusted to serve beyond five years constitutional mandate. Barrow has demonstrated clueless, unpreparedness and lack of intelligent leadership skills since he was installed as President. Today , the economic conditions of citizens have gotten worse since President Barrow was elected. The violence crimes have risen since December 2016. Our healthcare system is in shambles. Tribalism is on rise due to irresponsible behavior and rhetoric of President Barrow’s supporters like Imam Baba Leigh who is on the record to promote identity politics and tribal favoritism just like Jammeh promoted tribalism and tribal hegemony.
Our country’s sovereignty has been undermined and threatened already because The Gambia is under foreign occupation for the past three years without any evidence that Ecomig Forces are on the verge of leaving . Our national security is in the hands of Senegalese military and intelligence who are running the country. After three years in power, President Barrow cannot trust The Gambia’s security forces because his entire security and protection is coordinated and handled by President Macky Sall. This is dangerous game which could lead to significant grievances and encourage our Armed Forces to take extra-Constitutional means to remove President Barrow from Power. The Gambian people would recall that it was such a stupid decision by PPP government that entrusted our national security to then Nigerian military which encouraged young military leaders led by Lieutenant Yaya Jammeh to overthrew Jawara’s regime. President Barrow has already embraced the same stupid strategy since his installation as the third President of the country. By every indication, President Barrow is the least intelligent, unprepared and lack pubic service compares to both Jammeh and Jawara. Jammeh has significant experience in national security and government before he became president while the late former President Jawara has the knowledge, wisdom, training and background to lead the country. President Barrow is uneducated and poor rent collector who has never used his personal qualifications, experience and background to seek presidency but has entirely depended on vision, experience, integrity and political capital of Lawyer Ousainou Darboe during 2016 presidential campaign. Thus, President Barrow ascent to highest office of the land was simply based on lies and deceptions we are all made to believe at the time . Day after day, we have seen how the regime continues to reverse its silly decisions whenever there is public outrage. President Barrow’s lack of leadership skills and vision resulted to inconsistencies in making decisions. This should be a great concern to all Gambians and we must all take gallant steps to ensure that President Barrow becomes one term President. Adama Barrow has little appetite for reforms that our country badly needs but has huge belly to consume our meager resources for self-perpetuating rule that would ultimately lead to his disgrace and downfall just like his predecessor, former Dictator Yaya Jammeh.
The attack on peaceful protesters and closed of media houses or private radio stations is the last straw that should galvanize all Gambians to stop this administration before it is too late. The recent actions of this administration is an attack on our new found democracy, political freedom , free speech and rights to self determination. President Barrow and his cronies must understand that people of good will regardless of political affiliation, tribal identity and religious backgrounds will ensure that The Gambia’s representation by mediocrity ends in 2021. We must take back our country and ends foreign occupation. Our national security and economic development cannot be continuously in the hands of foreign power and agents who have no historic roots and background to the indigenous people of The Gambia. This must end. We will restore our national honor, identity and pride to our people who deserves better leadership with intelligent vision and integrity to move our country forward.
Thank you
Maxs