Protesters demanding Gambian president Adama Barrow to step down have clashed with riot police in a suburb six km outside the capital Banjul on Sunday.
Personnel of the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) fired rubber bullets and tear gas on protesters at Westfield roundabout and Jeshwang in The Gambia’s biggest municipality as they tried to march on the capital.
Shops have been forced closed and traffic especially on the highway to Banjul was disrupted throughout Sunday as protesters burn tires on the roads and engaged the PIU personnel in running battles, causing widespread public panic.
The Inspector General of Police has announced that it was cancelling the permit issued to the protesters over an alleged violation of the terms and conditions for allowing them to take to the streets.
The police warned “individuals who may wish to join the protest…to stay home until the situation is put under control.”
An intersection just outside the town of Bakau was the authorised venue for the protest.
Plumes of smoke from burning tires and teargas carnisters darkened the skies around the town of Jeshwang as protesters burned tires and confronted PIU personnels.
Several among the protesters have been injured, according to some reports which have not been verified.
Local media reports suggests that several leaders of Sunday’s protest have been arrested.
The protesters dubbed, “Three Years Jotna,” (Three Years are up) were protesting for the second time in weeks, calling on President Barrow to honour a promise he made to head a three-year transition period after which he would resign and call for snap elections in which he will not be a candidate.
Barrow led an opposition coalition which defeated Yahya Jammeh in the 2016 presidential election.
The police issued a permit for the Three Years Jotna movement’s first protest in December, 2019, which drew tens of thousands of demonstrators but ended peacefully.
A counter demonstration by another movement was held recently in support of Barrow’s decision to go for a full five-year mandate in accordance with The Gambian constitution.
EJ/as/APA