Hon. Fatou Cham, National Assembly Member For Sannehmentering Constituency
I am utterly shocked by a collection of videos and audios circulating on social media claiming the Gambia government via Dept of Physical Planning is forcing people in certain part of Sukuta – Salagi to abandon their homes and properties because the place is a reserved land.
Even though I have been far away across the sea, these videos / audios keep haunting me around. For the last 24 hours, I have been restless with phone calls from several stakeholders, all demanding accountabilities.
As a citizen of Kombo, I understand the deep emotions these ongoing systematic land seizures without compensation evoke within our communities.
And as your MP, I share the concern of most Sukuta – Salagi residents that the land / property crisis is an emergency that affects all of us and that the government must do everything in its power to redress our neighbors’ suffering. To that end, I support solutions that address the root causes of land issues and do not punish people for trying to meet their basic life-sustaining needs like shelter, sleep and food: a solution that, also, does not remove the indigenous owner of the land from where they gain their livelihoods.
What the people of Sukuta and Kombo needs more than ever before is a sensible land reform in the Gambia to secure land rights to our parents’ lands that are transferable with acquired market value and can be used as collateral for non-agricultural investments or passed on as wealth to the next generation.
This is an important moment—not just for Sukuta, but for Kombo as a whole. From Sukuta to Sanyang, Kartong to Kafuta, the region is waking up to the reality that those in government who are supposed to protect and preserve our lands will never support the true empowerment of our people. They will fight every attempt we make to reclaim our land, our resources, and our economic independence.
What’s happening in Sukuta and Kombo is part of a much larger struggle — a result of ignoring an ongoing, systemic problem until the frustrations of the aggrieved families finally “boil over.” One that extends beyond land and politics to the very heart of our other resources. For years, our women and youths were threatened with arrest. And now, our backs are against the wall, and we can no longer be playing by their rules. The days of unchecked government control are ending, and the future belongs to those who fight for justice.
What we need, as a people and or, a region instead is thoughtful study, planning, and response via a non-violent and democratic alternative. An alternative that is likely to generate a positive outcome that the good people of Kombo can be proud of.
Hon. Fatou Cham, NAM.
Sanimentereng Constituency.