Brikama’s Operation Clear the Road Postponed to After Tobaski After Closed-Door Meeting

Brikama Area Council Chair and Police (c) BAC Social Media

By Yusef Taylor and Edward Francis Dalliah

Following clashes between “Operation Clear the Road” operatives and residents of Brikama on Monday 10th June 2024, a closed-door meeting between leaders of the Initiative, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Chairperson of Brikama Area Council (BAC) has postponed the operation until after Tobaski.

The situation became a public concern after the BAC Chairperson Mr Yankuba Darboe posted on social media that “Operation Manneh has now descended on Brikama Area Council arresting one of our councillors, and Chairman of our Market Committee, Mamadou Jawo Jallow! This is simply unacceptable! They will have to arrest us all today!!!”.

Operation Clear the road is led by Mr Bakary Manneh and includes a task force comprising of the Gambia Police Force, the National Roads Authority and the Department of Physical Planning which has been established to clear the roads from all illegal structures and parking to reduce traffic congestion. The first phase started in October 2023 and has included the Kanifing Municipal Council and the Greater Banjul Area.

Speaking to the media on Monday Chairperson Darboe opined that the Operation in Brikama “is not acceptable and not backed by law” and they are with the “objective on how to put [him] behind bars”. He added that the team is not just limiting the clearing on the road, but going inside the market which he objected to.

The clash which occurred on Monday escalated further when Chairperson Darboe revealed that he was “held up at the Brikama District Hospital with other victims’ tear-gassed by Operation Manneh on the orders of President Adama Barrow! Until death takes us today, we will fight to end this operation today!!!”

According to the Brikama Area Council's Facebook page, the Councillor was later released after his arrest.

IGP Tours Brikama Operation Clear the Road Site

After the clashes on Monday, things were brought to a calm the following day after a stakeholder engagement, yesterday 11th June 2024. The Gambia Police Force's Facebook page published a video on the meeting between the Inspector General of Police and revealed that the Councillor of Brikama Nyambai Ward and others were arrested.

The video showed the new IGP Mr Seedy Mukhtar conducting a tour around the areas where Operation Clear the Road will be conducting their road clearance. During the tour, the BAC Chairperson caught up with the IGP and expressed concerns over the areas where they have been paving the road with concrete.

After the tour, the video shows the IGP and the BAC Chairperson speaking to the Police press team after their closed-door meeting. In the video the IGP stressed that “nothing will stop the operation” but they will take a break and will continue immediately after the Tobaski. He added that “the Chairman has made a commitment”.

Speaking on the way forward after the meeting the IGP highlighted that his: “expectations will be, today is Tuesday, by next Wednesday these places should be vacated. And am going to hold him personally responsible, institutionally responsible, regionally responsible if there are any lapses or gaps”.

“That said I want my brother [Mr Manneh of Operation Clear the Road] to halt this operation until after the Eid” said the IGP.

Eid Al-Adha, commonly known as Tobaski, is the Muslim festival which celebrates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice Ismael, his son. During the build-up to Tobaski, there is significant business activity in the market which appears to be affected by the Operation in Brikama.

Manneh and Chairperson Darboe Speak to the Press

The closed-door meeting followed a press conference where both Mr Manneh and BAC Chairperson Darboe responded to questions from the press.

Speaking to vendors after the meeting BAC Chairperson Darboe informed them that the IGP has told Manneh to leave the place where the Council allocated them until after the Eid and the Council will clear the place where it gives its people.

On his part, Mr Manneh highlighted that the Task Force is not formed to ‘intimidate’ anyone but to execute their ‘responsibility under the law of this land’. He added that the incident was due to the ‘lack of communication’, but with the outcome of the dialogue, they heard the views of the council and will allow the vendors to be there this week for their Tobaski sale (‘Wanterr’) and, the council will clear the place after the Eid.