Africa-Press – Gambia. Fatou Jaw Manneh, an outspoken journalist and aspiring presidential candidate, delivered one of her most forceful critiques yet of President Adama Barrow’s administration, arguing that what she described as its “catastrophic leadership” has placed the country at risk and underscored the urgency of political change in 2026.
In a statement posted on her official Facebook page, Manneh linked the recent arrest of Sana Manjang—a former member of ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh’s feared paramilitary unit—to what she characterized as the government’s longstanding failure to confront the legacy of past abuses. The government, she said, responded to the arrest with a press release that she called “pathetic, hollow, and insulting,” accusing officials of acting only when public pressure became impossible to ignore.
Manneh sharply criticized Mr. Barrow for what she described as years of inaction on the recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission, which documented widespread atrocities during Mr. Jammeh’s 22-year rule and outlined reforms meant to bring justice to victims and prevent future abuses.
“The TRRC recommendations, which Barrow shamelessly refused to act upon, are now eight years old. Eight long years during which victims waited, cried, begged, and died without justice. For Barrow to suddenly pretend to care is not just late; it is disrespectful, dishonest, and unforgivable,” Manneh said.
She argued that the administration’s failure to implement those reforms has created conditions ripe for instability, suggesting that the alleged plot connected to Mr. Jammeh’s potential return reflects broader national security vulnerabilities. Mr. Barrow, she said, had “betrayed the struggle that brought him to power” by aligning with political forces once loyal to the former president.
“Barrow has just had a rude awakening that the TRRC was never a decoration. It was a roadmap for justice, healing, and prevention. This is the same Barrow who betrayed the struggle that brought him to power. He allied with the very forces who never wanted him president in the first place,” Manneh stated.
Manneh also credited Senegalese authorities with playing a decisive role in foiling the alleged plot, saying their actions helped safeguard both their own security and The Gambia’s fragile stability.
Her remarks culminated in a call for political change in the next election cycle, warning that the country could face profound turmoil without new leadership.
“Gambians are tired. Gambians are hungry. Gambians are exhausted,” she wrote. “And God forbid Jammeh is allowed to return; the chaos will swallow us all. We must relieve Barrow of his post in 2026. Our survival depends on it.”
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