Africa-Press – Gambia. The Gambia Environmental Alliance (GEA) held a press conference on Thursday in response to recent revelations of illegal sand mining and broader environmental violations brought to light by The Republic.
In a strongly worded statement, GEA called for an immediate national moratorium on coastal sand mining, the initiation of independent environmental audits, legislative investigations, and legal action against individuals or entities found in violation of environmental laws. The organization also demanded restoration and reparations for impacted communities—particularly women farmers—and urged the Gambian government to prioritize environmental protection over unchecked development.
The call to action follows The Republic’s investigative report, which detailed severe environmental degradation allegedly caused by the operations of GACH Mining Company.
Addressing the media, GEA Secretary-General Muhammad Hydara described the findings as a wake-up call for the nation, warning of long-term consequences if immediate steps are not taken.
“GACH Mining, and any other mining company with deep political connections, is at the center of this exploitation. But they do not operate in a vacuum. They are empowered by silence, enabled by a system, and protected by a government that has turned its back on its own people,” GEA Secretary-General Muhammad Hydara said.
Hydara reserved particularly sharp criticism for the National Environment Agency (NEA), accusing it of failing in its mandate as the country’s environmental watchdog.
“Let’s talk about the National Environment Agency (NEA)—the very institution meant to be our environmental watchdog. Instead, it has acted as a facilitator of degradation. EIA permits are issued retroactively. No public consultation. No independent oversight. No enforcement. What do you call an environmental agency that allows mining to continue after licenses have expired? What do you call a government that ignores the Janneh Commission’s recommendation to halt mining until full restoration is done? We call it regulatory failure. We call it betrayal,” he stated.
Hydara painted a vivid picture of the human cost of environmental negligence: “And this betrayal has a human face. It looks like a woman farmer in Sanyang, whose harvests have failed for three years. It looks like the fishermen in Kartong, watching the sandbars disappear. It looks like our children inheriting a coastline broken by greed,” he said.
He concluded by affirming GEA’s commitment to pursuing accountability and environmental justice. “This environmental crisis cannot and will not be swept under the rug.”
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