Africa-Press – Gambia. The civil society group, Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), has officially announced plans to hold a peaceful protest against alleged corruption within President Adama Barrow’s administration. The demonstration is scheduled for Tuesday, 22nd July 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Westfield, Kanifing Municipality.
In an official statement, GALA highlighted the persistent challenges The Gambia faces regarding corruption, financial mismanagement, and systemic inefficiencies within key public institutions. Despite multiple audit reports, parliamentary and presidential inquiries, investigative journalism exposés, and whistleblower revelations, the group contends that justice and accountability remain largely unattained.
“In recent years, The Gambia has been rocked by a series of corruption scandals, financial mismanagement, and gross inefficiencies across key public institutions. Despite repeated audit reports, parliamentary and presidential inquiries, investigative journalism reports, and whistleblower accounts, justice and accountability remain elusive,” GALA said in a statement.
GALA further condemned what it called the normalization of impunity, the erosion of democratic values, and the betrayal of the hopes that followed the political transition in 2016.
“The blatant disregard for the rule of law, lack of accountability, and abuse of office have become normalized, entrenched, thereby betraying the objective of the hard-fought political change in 2016 aimed at ushering in an era of democratic governance guided by adherence to the rule of law and accountability standards. This unfortunate reality, which continues to aggravate, is directly threatening the very fabric of our democracy, undermining good governance and the future of our nation,” the group said.
According to GALA, a formal request for a police permit has been submitted to the Office of the Inspector General of Police in line with Section 25 of the 1997 Constitution, which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
“The protest is planned for Tuesday, 22nd July 2025, from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm at Westfield, Kanifing Municipality. This decision is in full accordance with Section 25 of the 1997 Constitution, which guarantees our right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Our demonstration will be carried out responsibly, peacefully, and with a unified call for justice, transparency, and accountability.
“This protest is not a vain reaction; rather, it is an exercise of moral responsibility and civic duty in line with the laws of the land to demand action by the state,” GALA said.
The protest is expected to highlight and demand action on several high-profile corruption cases and governance failures, including:
· The 2025 Russian Oil Scandal Report
· Audit findings from the National Audit Office (2017–2020)
· Corruption allegations confirmed in the GTBoard Staff Petition (2023)
· Findings of the GPA Corruption Report by the National Assembly (2023)
· EFSTH Audit Report (2021)
· IEC Audit Report (2024)
· COVID-19 Funds Audit Report (2023)
· Illegal land allocations (2017–2025)
· Passport Scandal (2021)
· Government Imprest Report and related National Assembly Resolution (2023)
· Alleged abuse of office and erosion of the rule of law
· Chronic inefficiency and underperformance in public service
· Transparency deficits in public institutions
· Corruption in the Gambia Football Federation
GALA described the protest as “a national call to conscience,” emphasizing that it is a nonpartisan initiative aimed at restoring integrity in governance.
“This protest is a national call to conscience. We are Gambians united by the pain of betrayal and the hope for a better country. We demand Transparency, Accountability, and Probity in the public sector for the urgent need to end corruption in The Gambia. We urge all concerned citizens to join us peacefully, to raise their voices for truth and accountability. This is not about anger, it’s about courage, unity, and love for the country,” the statement concluded.
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