By Ahmed Abdul Wahab
In the early hours of Wednesday, July 23, 2025, social media platforms and television channels across West Africa buzzed with videos and photographs of young Gambians taking to the streets of Banjul. What unfolded that sunny afternoon was more than just another protest; it was a powerful demonstration of how citizens can effectively hold their leaders accountable, even as neighboring countries struggled with similar demands for justice and transparency.
The Gambian Model of Peaceful Protest
The peaceful rally in Banjul represented a masterclass in organized civic action. With adequate security presence ensuring order, the group leading the demonstration successfully delivered petitions to various institutions, most notably the Gambian Football Federation. The protest was spearheaded by Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), whose spokesperson Omar Camara handed over an 11-page petition to Mahmoud Lamin Jawla, the acting Director of the National Sports Council.
The allegations contained in that petition were staggering. GALA accused the football federation of corruption, financial mismanagement, and squandering $11 million from FIFA and CAF between 2014 and 2024. The consequences of this alleged mismanagement were visible everywhere: promised football fields lay in ruins, and grassroots dreams remained unfulfilled across eight communities including Jarra Soma, Gunjur, Bakau, and Banjul.
The protesters also targeted the Justice Ministry, demanding accountability for the alleged embezzlement of 14.4 million Dalasis from the intellectual property registry between 2018 and 2019. Even more serious were their demands regarding two cabinet ministers allegedly entangled in a $30 million Russian oil scandal, a case that has since been documented by parliamentary investigations revealing systematic fraud involving unlicensed companies and suspicious banking arrangements.
Perhaps most importantly, GALA demanded that the National Assembly establish an independent investigative panel within 90 days, with clear consequences for non-compliance including suspension, dismissal, or prosecution. The protesters’ motivations extended beyond corruption to everyday struggles: persistent power cuts and the rising cost of basic commodities that burden ordinary citizens daily.
What made this protest remarkable was not just its content, but its process. GALA had followed proper procedures, receiving permission from the Commissioner of Police beforehand. The protesters publicly praised the police for their professional conduct in helping them communicate their message both to the government and to the world. This demonstrated how the Gambian constitution’s provisions for peaceful assembly can work when proper protocols are followed.
The Liberian Tragedy
The fact that both the successful GALA protest in Gambia and the troubling Zainab Bah incident in Liberia occurred on the exact same day – July 23, 2025 – creates a powerful illustration of how differently West African nations handle citizen rights and civic engagement. While Gambians were peacefully exercising their constitutional rights under police protection just hours away, a Liberian woman was having her religious rights violated by law enforcement. This contrast highlights the varying trajectories of democratic development across our region.
However, the very next day brought sobering news from neighboring Liberia that starkly contrasted with Gambia’s peaceful demonstration. A Muslim woman wearing a niqab, identified as Zainab Bah from New Port Street, reportedly faced severe mistreatment at the hands of Liberia National Police officers on the same day as the GALA protest – July 23, 2025.
According to multiple witnesses and video evidence, she was allegedly flogged and forcibly stripped of her niqab before being detained overnight at the Gobachor Market Police Depot in Red Light, all in connection with allegations of power theft.
This reported treatment raised serious concerns about the violation of religious rights and complete disregard for cultural and religious practices in Liberia. The incident sparked massive protests from the Fula community on July 24, 2025, with dozens of Muslim women gathering at police headquarters demanding justice. Despite initial promises of investigation from Inspector General Gregory Coleman, who even publicly apologized and acknowledged that “removing the hijab is equal to removing that woman’s clothes,” no disciplinary action against the involved officers has been confirmed.
The Zainab Bah incident highlights the delicate religious balance in Liberia, where 85.6% of the population is Christian and 12.2% is Muslim. Ongoing campaigns to declare Liberia a “Christian nation” have created tensions with Muslim communities seeking recognition, making this violation of religious rights particularly sensitive.
The Legal Landscape of Why Protest Rights Vary
To understand why these three neighboring countries, Gambia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, have such different experiences with peaceful protest, we must examine their legal frameworks. In Liberia, protesters are generally allowed to exercise their right to free speech by simply informing the Inspector General of Police about the date, place, and time of their demonstration.
The situation differs significantly in my home country of Sierra Leone, where the constitution requires groups to apply to the Inspector General of Police, who may either grant or deny permission. Since these police chiefs are appointed by the president and approved by parliament, they often serve the interests of the ruling government rather than protecting citizens’ rights.
In recent years, we have witnessed both regimes in Sierra Leone, the previous and current administrations, having their police chiefs refuse permits to protesters. According to police statements, these denials are typically justified on security grounds, with officials claiming that others might join to create mayhem, destroy property, and steal. While such concerns may sometimes be valid, this raises fundamental questions about the role and responsibilities of police forces.
Police exist to protect life and property. How can security forces claim they cannot provide and create a peaceful atmosphere for citizens to exercise their fundamental human rights? No democracy can be considered genuine if it cannot allow free speech. How long should Sierra Leoneans wait for such basic freedoms?
Pattern of Oppression & Cycle of Power
The tragic reality is that our politicians consistently use force, threats, and intimidation to prevent citizens from speaking freely. What makes this particularly frustrating is their refusal to learn from history. The same police forces that intimidated members of the current ruling party when they were in opposition are now being used to intimidate today’s opposition, seemingly oblivious to the cyclical nature of political power.
This present regime appears to have forgotten a fundamental truth: only one thing remains forever, and that is Allah. Where are Siaka Stevens, S.I. Koroma, Sir Milton Margai, Albert Margai, Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, Solo B, and J.S. Momoh today? Despite all their power and wealth, they are gone. As we say in Krio, “mortal man noto God bra,” no man is God. The sooner our current leaders understand this reality, the better they should become at remaining humble, obedient to the people’s will, and proceeding with caution.
Lessons from Our Neighbors
The contrast between these three countries offers important lessons. Gambia’s GALA protest succeeded because it combined thorough preparation, clear demands, proper legal procedures, and peaceful conduct. The protesters understood their rights, followed established protocols, and maintained discipline throughout their demonstration. Most importantly, they received professional treatment from security forces who understood their role as protectors rather than oppressors.
Liberia’s challenges with the Zainab Bah incident remind us that even countries with relatively open protest laws can fail their citizens when individual officers abuse their power and when accountability mechanisms fail to function. The incident also demonstrates how quickly civil rights violations can escalate into broader social tensions, particularly when they intersect with religious and ethnic sensitivities.
Sierra Leone’s restrictive approach represents the most troubling model, where colonial-era laws combine with partisan enforcement to systematically deny citizens their constitutional rights. The August 2022 cost-of-living protests that resulted in over 30 civilian deaths and 6 police officers killed exemplified how this system can explode into violence when peaceful channels are blocked.
The Path Forward
Understanding these different approaches helps us see that the struggle for accountability and democratic rights in West Africa is far from uniform. Some countries are making progress toward genuine democratic governance, while others are sliding backward into authoritarianism despite constitutional guarantees of freedom.
The key lesson from Gambia’s GALA protest is that effective civic action requires preparation, organization, clear objectives, and respect for legal procedures, but it also requires governments and security forces committed to upholding constitutional rights rather than protecting political interests.
As citizens across West Africa continue demanding accountability from their leaders, the events of July 23, 2025, remind us that the path to genuine democracy is neither straight nor guaranteed. The contrast between what happened in Banjul and Monrovia on that single day demonstrates both the potential for progress and the persistent challenges we face. It requires constant vigilance, proper preparation, and above all, leaders who remember that political power is temporary while the people’s rights are permanent.
The struggle for accountability will continue across our region. The question is whether our leaders will learn to listen to their people’s voices through peaceful channels, or whether they will continue the dangerous path of suppression that historically leads only to greater instability and eventual downfall.
With these reflections on the events of this past week, I hope our politicians will learn to respect their electorate and remember the temporary nature of political power. In the end, it is not force or intimidation that creates lasting stability, but genuine respect for the democratic rights and dignity of the people they serve.
References
Hundreds March in The Gambia as GALA Demands Sweeping Anti-Corruption Reforms
MAMA SALONE ~ Lioness of the West Coast 