By Makutu Manneh
Almameh Gibba, the National Assembly Member for Foni Kansala, has expressed grave concern over the continued loss of lives at the ECOMIG Senegalese checkpoint in Bwiam, calling on the authorities to take urgent action.
Hon. Gibba’s appeal follows the death of Abdoulie Badjie, a staff member of Bwiam General Hospital, who was struck by a vehicle at the checkpoint on Tuesday while on his way to work.
“We have lost a lot of lives at the Bwiam checkpoint, including lost properties. This checkpoint is said to bring us security, but it has only brought us sadness. This checkpoint is killing our people one after the other,” he said.
The lawmaker revealed that he has formally reported the incident to the Minister of Defence, the National Security Council, and the Director of Intelligence, adding that they are awaiting a response from the relevant authorities.
He further questioned why similar ECOMIG deployments in areas such as Yundum and Barra—manned by Ghanaian and Nigerian soldiers—have not resulted in checkpoints or fatal accidents, asking why the situation in Foni is different.
According to Hon. Gibba, the concerns of residents have been repeatedly communicated to the government without meaningful action. He noted that the issue was even discussed with President Adama Barrow, yet the situation remains unchanged.
“The death of this young man is very sad and inhumane. He was headlong to work when he encountered such a dehumanizing death,” Hon. Gibba stated.
Hon. Gibba stressed that the community has endured enough, warning that patience is wearing thin. “We want the authorities to take action. We have been law-abiding and never demonstrated against the checkpoint despite everything happening. This time will be different,” he cautioned.
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