For
the past two weeks, people are leaving the Kombos for the provinces and out of
The Gambia by every modern means of transport available in the country, by
land, sea and air.
While
the majority of Gambians are going to the provinces, non-Gambians are going
back to their countries in fear, as the political impasse following incumbent
president Yahya Jammeh’s rejection of the result of the 1st December
presidential election continues.
Officials
of Bundung garage, the main garage that connects the Kombos to the countryside
through the South Bank, said the number of vehicles that leave from the garage
with passengers has increased by more than 500 per cent.
Jabel
Choi, public relations officer of Bundung Car Park Association, said for the
past two weeks, the number of vehicles to Basse, Soma, Bansang, Brikamaba, and
Farafenni from the garage has increased from barely 2 in a day to more than 15
vehicles of 22 and 30 passengers, daily.
He
said vehicles now start to leave from the garage as early as 5a.m. whereas in
normal times before the impasse, the first vehicle from the garage would leave
at around 10a.m.
Because
the journey is prompt, some parents send their families unprepared; not even
with enough fare.
The
vice president of Bundung garage association, Malick Lowe, said often times
people come with their families, and they do not have even enough fare for
all. For example, a family that can take
five seats would only have enough fare for three or four.
One
of the drivers at the garage said some passengers would load all the belongings
they are travelling with, before begging for a reduction in the fare to enable
them pay for all the seats they are to occupy.
“We
have no option, but to allow them because we know their trip was prompt,” the
tall dark driver said.
Before
the political impasse began, most of the people used to travel to places like
Soma, Basse, and Brikamaba from the Kombos by bus, because it is cheaper than
the other commercial vehicles.
But
officials at the Bundung garage said, at the moment, even the commercial buses
have enough passengers to fill them, talk less of the GTSC buses.
Indeed,
the demand on the buses has increased tremendously. A staff of the bus company,
Gambia Transport Services Company, said even if they have additional buses on the
South Bank, they would not be able to satisfy the demand of people leaving the
Kombos.
While
those travelling along the South Bank from the Kombos are going by bus, those
going through the North Bank are crossing the river.
Traffic
from the Banjul end of the Banjul-Barra ferry-crossing point has increased
dramatically. The passenger traffic is
similar to what used to obtain in the build-up to feasts like Tobaski (Feast of
Sacrifice), when a lot of people in the Kombos cross to go spend the religious
feast with their provincial families.
The
traffic out of The Gambia has also increased phenomenally.
The
Gambia has a large number of citizens of Guinea Bissau and Guinea Conakry, in
addition to those from Senegal. But most
of them are going back for the first time is many years.
The
number of vehicles at the Guinea garage can hardly serve the people leaving the
country. The same is true for the
Senegalese.
Momodou
Jallow, a Guinea Conakry resident who was travelling with his wife and three
children, said he has been living in The Gambia for the past ten years, during
which he has never gone to Conakry.
Morr
Dem, a Senegalese, said: “It is not my wish to close my shop and go, but I have
to because my life is more important to me.”
But
not only the Senegalese are going to Senegal. Even Gambians are going there for
safety.
“My
husband has sent in money for me and our two children and his mother and one
sister to go to Dakar,” Tida said.
She
has no relative in Senegal, but her husband in Germany said they should take an
apartment and stay there (in Senegal) until the situation in Banjul is
resolved.
Foreign
staff of international organisations, companies and embassies are booking
tickets and flying out of The Gambia.
The
US Department of State has ordered foreign staff and family members of the
embassy in Banjul to leave The Gambia.
It
is understood that other embassies in the country have issued similar orders.
The
Chinese owner of a restaurant in Senegambia has ordered the restaurant to cease
operations on 15 January, when he is travelling to America.
“When
the boss was travelling, he told us that the restaurant would close on the 15th
until when the situation is normal,” said Lamin Joof, an employee of the
restaurant.
The
Gambia is one of Africa’s smallest countries and, unlike many of its West
African neighbours, it has enjoyed long spells of stability since independence
in 1965.
However,
following President Jammeh’s rejection of the result of the 1st December
presidential election, the security situation in the country remains
uncertain.
Since
then, fully armed soldiers and paramilitaries are deployed in town and they
have put sandbags at strategic places in preparation for a possible backlash.
The
government has begun taking restrictive measures, including shutting down radio
stations.
Meanwhile,
the government has issued a press release reassuring the public that The Gambia
remains “peaceful and stable”.
Analysts
said people are living in a state of fear, because Gambians are not used to
such heavy security presence in the public, and the ongoing political rhetoric
is adding to the situation.
