Press statement on the political standoff in The Gambia

Anti-Corruption International The Gambia (ACIG) is an accredited chapter in formation for Anti-Corruption International (ACI), a global movement that seeks to stop corruption and promote transparency, accountability and integrity at all levels and across all sectors of society. The status of accredited national chapter in formation means that Anti-Corruption International The Gambia (ACIG) is now part of ACI’s network of just under 100 countries and is ACI’s designated reference point in The Gambia. ACIG is registered under The Gambia Companies Act.

The peace loving people of The Gambia are witnesses to lack of respect for ethical values particularly since the defeat of the incumbent in the December 1, 2016 presidential election. Democratic institutions are deteriorating, hope of achieving open governance, trust society and trust government is eroding rapidly. The outgoing President Yahya Jammeh’s acceptance and subsequent rejection of the December 1, 2016 presidential election results in its entirety and calling for a new electoral body and new election has disparaged the values of primacy of law and adherence to orderly and peaceful transfer of power to incoming President-elect Adama Barrow of the coalition.

Anti-Corruption International The Gambia (ACIG) strongly deplore the refusal of the outgoing President Yahya Jammeh to accept the articulated will of the Gambian people and call on the incumbent to recognize that any attempt to derail the freedom, equality, justice, peace and dignity of the Gambian people is contravention of the essential objectives for the achievement of the legitimate aspiration of the African peoples as enunciated in the Constitutive Act of the African Union. ACIG therefore, urge the outgoing President Yahya Jammeh to respect public good and public interest and to hand over power peacefully to President elect Adama Barrow.

Furthermore, the organization is seriously concern about the numerous “fortify soldier camps” at strategic locations in Greater Banjul Region and other parts of the country. This development is damaging the physical and mental function of Gambians and non-Gambians to enjoyment of all rights. The fortify soldier camps are also fertile grounds to grow grand and petty corruption and corrupt practices. We call on the outgoing President Yahya Jammeh to desist from deploying “fortify soldier camps” at public space and take immediate and necessary measure to remove them to “soldier barracks”. ACIG further call on the incumbent to respect ethics as enshrine in the Gambian Constitution and other relevant instruments that The Gambia had ratified. 

Sign: Michael Davies

National President