Police Chief Warns Unauthorized Protests Will Face Firm Response

By Seedy Jobe

The Inspector General of Police, Seedy Muktarr Touray, warned on Thursday that demonstrations held without proper authorization would face a firm response from security forces as authorities move to contain unrest linked to persistent electricity outages.

Speaking at a news conference at the Police Intervention Unit headquarters in Kanifing, Touray said the directive takes effect immediately.

“Henceforth, any protest staged without due process will be dealt with very firmly and very decisively,” he said. “From this very moment, nobody is allowed to protest without an approved permit.”

Touray acknowledged that the Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful assembly but said that right is subject to legal restrictions intended to protect public safety and national security. He cited the Public Order Act, which sets requirements governing the authorization, routes, and timing of public processions.

The police chief said recent demonstrations had, in some instances, gone beyond peaceful protest, pointing to the vandalism of the Farato police post, the release of detainees, and attacks on NAWEC facilities, where he said money was stolen. An 18-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with the Farato incident, he added.

Touray also announced a special joint security operation beginning Thursday night, with officers deployed to protect lives, property, and critical infrastructure. He said the operation was not intended to suppress legitimate grievances but to prevent violence, vandalism, and looting.

He instructed security personnel taking part in the operation to exercise restraint and use proportionate force. He also urged community leaders, parents, and political figures to discourage young people from participating in potentially dangerous nighttime gatherings.

Asked whether Senegalese and Nigerian troops serving under ECOMIG would participate, Touray said the Gambia Armed Forces would take part in the operation, but ECOMIG personnel would not.

He described ECOMIG as a security partner whose presence supports national security but said its forces would not be directly involved in the operation.

Touray added that Gambian law applies to everyone in the country, regardless of nationality, and said anyone suspected of criminal activity would be investigated and dealt with in accordance with the law.

He urged the public to remain calm and law-abiding, saying the responsibility for preserving the country’s peace and stability rests with all Gambians.