Original article by Nicholas Mwangi republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

The arrest and bail release of Gambian anti-corruption activists has ignited concern over government repression. Their detention coincides with the controversial removal of Auditor General Momodou Ceesay, who resisted political interference in corruption investigations.

Political tension is mounting in The Gambia following the arrest of four anti-corruption protesters and the controversial removal of the country’s auditor general. The government’s actions have been condemned as a major setback for democracy and accountability in the West African nation.

On September 15, 2025, the Gambian Police Force arrested several activists, including Alieu Bah and Kemo Fatty. They were detained after police stormed a peaceful gathering near the Auditor General’s office, where protesters had gathered to denounce government corruption and defend institutional integrity. A few hours later, a spokesperson of Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), Omar Saibo Camara, was also arrested.

Forced removal of the auditor general

The arrests came just days after a dramatic shake-up in the civil service. 

On September 10, President Adama Barrow dismissed Auditor General Momodou Ceesay, who had been leading investigations into looted national assets, and reassigned him to the Ministry of Trade. Many people believe that by placing Ceesay in a ministerial position, the president effectively undermined the independence of the audit office, since ministers serve at the president’s discretion.

On principle, Ceesay refused to accept the reappointment, but the government says he initially accepted and then changed his decision. His stance led to a confrontation on September 13, when police forces reportedly invaded his office with the intention of forcefully removing him.

Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), in a statement said they had “credible information suggesting that this abrupt redeployment was intended to shield certain institutions, including the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), from much-needed scrutiny. By moving the Auditor General into a ministerial role, the President effectively places him in a position where he can be dismissed at will, thereby undermining the independence of the auditing function.”

“It is worth recalling that since 2021, the government has refused to make public the auditor general’s reports on government institutions. If this latest decision is indeed an attempt to silence oversight and accountability, we strongly condemn it in its entirety.”

Violent crackdown on protest

On September 14, activists from GALA and their allies gathered outside the auditor general’s office to protest the dismissal, and give a press statement.

Further, in a statement, GALA condemned both the removal of the auditor general and the arrests of protestors:

“The forced removal of the Auditor General, a public servant committed to exposing corruption, represents a grave assault on institutional integrity. Equally disturbing is the treatment of young citizens who were tear-gassed, arrested without cause, and subjected to police brutality simply for exercising their constitutional rights.”

Broader implications

The arrests and reshuffle come amid rising frustration with the Barrow government, which swept to power in 2016 on promises of reform, transparency, and accountability after decades of authoritarian rule under Yahya Jammeh. Many Gambians now fear the country is sliding back into repression and impunity.

Read More: “The beginning of a new revolution”: Gambian youth protest state corruption, face mass arrests

GALA has vowed to continue its campaign for transparency and accountability, urging Gambians to “stand up, speak out, and continue to protest peacefully until the Auditor General is reinstated and our comrades Alieu Bah, Omar Saibo Camara, and Kemo Fatty, and all those arrested are released unconditionally.” The activists were granted bail on September 17.

Original article by Nicholas Mwangi republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.