By: Momodou Justice Darboe
The task force report on the land disputes between the clans of Gunjur and Sanyang Kunda clan in Berending has been gathering dust from the shelves, this medium can report.
Former President Yahya Jammeh reignited the land dispute between the Mandinka clans of Gunjur and the predominant Jola clan of Sanyang Kunda in Berending, this reporter gathered from the task force report.
The erstwhile Gambia President’s pronouncement that land did not belong to anyone was the trigger of the land disputes, the task force established.
Meanwhile, the report of the presidential task force has been gathering dust from the shelves since its submission to relevant authorities two years ago.
The lethargy with which the Gambian authorities have been treating the task force report has been seen in many quarters as a recipe for reignition of violence over the frozen land disputes.
In 2021, the task force recommended the removal of Berending Alkalo, which was done but other recommendations such as the demarcation of the disputed territories have yet to be implemented by the Gambia government. And patience has been running low.
In 2019, a Gunjur man was allegedly shot dead by Berending native Buba Drammeh as Sawo Kundaclan of Gunjur and Sanyang Kunda clan of Berending were involved in a land dispute. BubaDrammeh was later arrested and taken to Mile II for the shooting but has since escaped from custody.
Meanwhile, the task force has established that the founder of Berending, Buruwa Sanyang, was given land by the Darboe Kunda clan in Gunjur to settle after the lack of space for his cattle forced him out of Kartong, where he first settled. The task force has found out that Berending was initially part of Gunjur Darboe Kunda.
However, in 1988, Sanyang Kunda laid claim to lands in the Berending area but the Kombo South District Tribunal ruled that they didn’t own any land in the territories as the land belonged to the clans of Gunjur. Sanyang Kunda appealed the decision but the appeal was dismissed by the lower court. The high court also dismissed one of their appeals in 1993.
The presidential task force recommended the lands ministry to spearhead the demarcation of the land based on the judgement but the government has failed to implement the recommendation two years on.