The United Democratic Party (UDP) has condemned the use of teargas on peaceful civilian events at the Buffer Zone on Independence Day.
A statement made available to The Voice on Sunday stated that the United Democratic Party has learned with great dismay of the disruption, using disproportionate force, of a civilian event organized by the splinter group of the APRC also known as “NO TO ALLIANCE” with five elected National Assembly Members serving in the legislature.
A statement signed by ANM Ousainu Darbo Secretary General & Party Leader stated that: “UDP calls on the Inspector General of Police to unreservedly apologize to the organizers of the event and to compensate for any harm or damage caused to life or property, and to the nation in general that on the most solemn day in the republic’s calendar, the Gambia Police would resort to tactics reminiscent of the brutal dictatorship our Nation is transitioning away from.”
The statement pointed out that “It is baffling to witness that a day after the long-awaited National Dialogue to sanitize Gambian politics that the Gambia Police Force uses teargas to disperse a peaceful assembly of citizens on Independence Day no less. A ‘National Dialogue’ is meaningful only within the context of democratic pluralism where all organs and agents of State act with the ambit of the Constitution and guided by the rule of law.”
“To be clear, this is not the first time that the Gambia Police Force has used excessive force to disperse peaceful assemblies of citizens. One instant was firing teargas into the crowd assembled outside the residence of the UDP Party Leader in December 2021. There are several other cases, but suffice it to say policing in a democratic republic requires a skill set and tools different from that of an authoritarian state,” the statement added.
According to the statement, UDP has noted with grave concerns that since the appointment of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly in 2022, the APRC politics of weaponization of State Institutions have made a comeback.
“Arbitrary arrests detention and state violence forms of intimidation that dictator Jammeh practiced extensively to stifle dissent but failed to cow opposition to his tyrannical government. Appointments to high offices of the State are based on partisan considerations. This conflates the distinctive role of the permanent professional public services with the elected political class, which requires no professional qualification except a senior secondary school certificate,” the statement highlighted.
“UDP respectfully urges the security forces and public servants to honour their oaths of office and to faithfully serve the constitution and laws of the Gambia without fear or favour, ill will or affection.
“Mindful of the necessity to disobey unlawful orders where those orders violate the human rights of citizens. The mantra of the TRRC “NEVER AGAIN” must mean that ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’.
“Therefore, it is our collective responsibility to safeguard the state and to secure all life liberty and equal protection of the law. As a nation we cannot say we shall engage in dialogue to cleanse our politics and immediately thereafter attack a rival political group with teargas,” the statement concludes.