The Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice have received reports ad monitored social media about police conduct in Jabang. The reports indicate that on Thursday 18th September 2025, heavily armed police officers stormed the community of Jabang in response to reported clash between residents of Jabang and Sukuta allegedly over land issues. Video images on social media have shown police officers resorting to excessive force and firing tear gas into residential areas thereby endangering the lives of innocent civilians and causing widespread panic. Homes were filled with tear gas, leaving many, including young children and the elderly, struggling to breathe, and suffering from serious health complications and psychological trauma, with some people hospitalized. Several people have been arrested.
EFSCRJ is deeply alarmed by this pattern of heavy-handed policing that violates the fundamental rights of citizens guaranteed by the 1997 Constitution, which safeguards life, liberty, and security of person. The indiscriminate use of tear gas in communities also breaches international human rights standards, including the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.
While we recognize the duties of the police to ensure law and order, we urge security officers to do so within the ambits of the law. Such acts of state violence erode public trust in law enforcement and undermine efforts to build peace, justice, and accountability in our society. Instead of protecting citizens, the police have inflicted fear and trauma, further marginalizing communities already facing socio-economic hardships.
In this regard, EFSCRJ Demands:
- Immediate cessation of the use of excessive force and indiscriminate firing of tear gas in communities.
- A transparent and independent investigation into the Jabang incident to identify and hold accountable all officers and commanders involved.
- Provision of medical and psychosocial support to victims, especially children, the elderly, and others affected by the tear gas assault.
- Respect and protect the rights of detainees in line with due process.
- Urgent reform of policing practices, including strict adherence to human rights-based policing, community engagement, and accountability mechanisms.
EFSCRJ reminds the government and the police that security forces exist to serve and protect citizens, not to terrorize them. The safety and dignity of the Gambian people must always be paramount. We call on civil society, the National Assembly, and all concerned citizens to stand united against police brutality and demand a security sector that respects human rights, rule of law, and democratic governance.
The trauma inflicted on the people of Jabang is a stark reminder that unchecked state power is a threat to all Gambians. Justice must be served, and those responsible must face the full force of the law to ensure such violations never happen again.
2025 – The Year of Transparency and Accountability www.efscrj.org
