Gambia losing the war on the trafficking and use dangerous drugs of abuse. GFA is greatly concerned

It was not too long ago that the Gambia For All party made a press release urging the Barrow government to convincingly and unequivocally declare a zero tolerance policy on dangerous drug trafficking. In the intervening period, less than 2 years since, the incidence and gravity of drug related cases has increased dramatically. This situation, evidently untenable, is causing a lot of concern for Gambians, who are apprehensive about the sharp increase in violent and random criminal activity, as well as deaths that are alleged to be drug related.

There are serious allegations of either collusion or direct involvement levelled against important organs of the state, that must compel the Barrow government to act decisively, to deal with what GFA believes is among the biggest threat to our national security.

As a responsible political party, GFA cannot remain indifferent or quiet, when multiple high profile drug related cases, that have caused harm to our youths, and tarnished the good name of our country, remain stagnant in the judicial process. The authorities appear to have no interest in seeing a conclusion to the cases, or to inform the public on the progress or otherwise of their status.

Typically, the significant, but mysterious Banta Keita drug case still remains what it has always been, “a mystery wrapped in a conundrum”, with no sign of the authorities showing any interest in  furthering the investigation to a resolution.

Then there is the case of the flamboyant, but rather serious case of “Pablo Escobar”, which has been hanging in the courts with no sign of a conclusion. The authorities seem satisfied with the unprecedented bail, in excess of 100 million dalasis, paid to let the accused enjoy his freedom.

Nor have we forgotten the high flying case of the cocaine suitcases allegedly checked in on an SN BRUSSELS flight originating Banjul International Airport. Apart from a clumsy narrative from the DLEAG, no further action seems to be taken to shed light on a very important transnational criminal investigation.

Topping all the above scandals is the daredevil, Fly-in-Fly-out airstrip that is alleged to have been built under our very nose, in the now multinational village of Kartong. If this is true, the catastrophic implications (Drugs, Arms, Human Trafficking and etc) are so glaringly dire, that the administration could not be said to been unaware of such a flagrant attack on our national sovereignty.

As serious as the issues and events mentioned above are, the emerging allegations of drug cartel infiltration into our judicial and law enforcement institutions is the most devastating. Though it has long been suspected that the weakest link in the drug interdiction program is our courts, the allegation that dangerous drug exhibits have
been tampered with by judicial officers, would constitute the mother of all betrayals by our professional class.

Faced with these serious allegations and pending court cases, we detect no sense of urgency on the part of the Barrow government to confront what amounts to an existential threat to our republic. In the case of the alleged tampering of drug exhibits by Judicial officials, it took the diligence and the persistence of a Gambian online media house for the ministry of information to issue a generic statement like, “ the case has been sent to the police”. GFA would like to remind the authorities that political and judicial control by the cartels, a desired end-game of the traffickers, is what
essentially defines a NARCO State.

The recent announcement by the Gambia Police on the suspicious death of several youths, allegedly drug related, must be a call to action for all Gambians in the battle
against dangerous drugs. GFA has always argued that this battle cannot be left to the embattled and under-resourced officials of the Gambia Drug Law Enforcement Authorities. The entire political class, and the governing authorities in particular, must adopt a no compromise policy in relation to drug trafficking in our society.

The local proverb of the master drummer and his drumstick!! (In Mandinka, Tantang Kosila naala Forango) is a concept we refuse to contemplate!

Long live the GFA

Long Live The Gambia.

GFA Communication

 Ma-Jonka House

 Kanifing. KMC