Political Analyst Juwara Warns Barrow Against Invoking Jammeh-Era Repression

By Makutu Manneh

Political analyst Lamin Juwara has cautioned President Adama Barrow against invoking the repressive practices of former President Yahya Jammeh when responding to citizens demanding government accountability, warning that such rhetoric undermines democratic progress.

Speaking on Kerr Fatou’s Politic Kachaa show, Mr. Juwara criticized the president’s repeated references to how Mr. Jammeh would have dealt with protesters, arguing that practices condemned under the former administration cannot be justified today.

“Such statements suggest that President Barrow has the tendency to do what Jammeh did,” he said. “The president should know that the citizens Jammeh had, he will not have those citizens. That stage has passed, and Gambians will never go back to that stage again.”

Mr. Juwara recalled that President Barrow and his political allies had condemned Mr. Jammeh’s authoritarian rule, during which some protesters lost their lives. He also noted that Mr. Barrow himself had not led demonstrations while in opposition.

He expressed concern that several laws and institutional mechanisms inherited from the Jammeh era remained in place, warning that they could still be used to suppress dissent.

Addressing Mr. Barrow’s criticism of Banjul North lawmaker Modou Lamin Bah over a protest sparked by persistent electricity shortages, Mr. Juwara argued that the president’s frustration should instead be directed at officials responsible for managing substantial public investments in the energy sector.

He dismissed suggestions that Mr. Bah had orchestrated the demonstration, saying widespread public frustration over unreliable electricity supplies was sufficient to bring residents into the streets.

Mr. Juwara urged the president to respect citizens’ constitutional rights, exercise restraint, and follow due process when addressing public grievances.

He maintained that Gambians would no longer tolerate the language of intimidation and impunity associated with the country’s former dictatorship.