Environment Minister Calls Recent Killings a ‘Great Concern,’ Citing Media and Technology Shifts

By Seedy Jobe

The Gambia’s Minister of Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources, Rohey John Manjang, said Friday that a recent spate of killings in the country was a source of deep concern for the government, while suggesting that expanded media coverage and the rise of new technologies were also shaping how the public perceives crime.

In an interview with Senn FM Radio, Ms. Manjang said that while security remained primarily the responsibility of law enforcement, safeguarding the public was ultimately a shared obligation.

She argued that violent crime was not a new phenomenon in the country. She recalled being told by a police officer that crime rates had, in fact, been higher in past years but went largely unreported because the media was more tightly restricted at the time.

By contrast, she said, today’s media environment is far more assertive, and technological tools have advanced to a point where false information—including content generated using artificial intelligence—can be circulated widely.

The minister was careful to draw a distinction, saying she was not accusing current reporting of being fabricated.

“I am not saying that what is being reported now is A.I. or is falsified,” she said.

She added that the government took no satisfaction in the current wave of violence, calling it a matter of serious concern for the country’s leadership, the cabinet, and citizens broadly.

Drawing a comparison, Ms. Manjang recalled a period she spent in the Bronx, in New York City, where she said her host told her that local media reported at least one violent incident a day, sometimes two.

She also cited the unsolved killing of a Gambian man in Atlanta three years ago, saying it illustrated that even countries with far larger economies and resources could face prolonged delays in resolving violent crimes.

Ms. Manjang described the current situation in The Gambia as regrettable and troubling, noting that no one could predict who might be affected next. She said such security challenges, while difficult, were part of the broader experience of a society undergoing growth and change.