Abdoulie Sanyang, a former military officer and prominent media commentator in The Gambia was arrested on August 17, 2025 after comments made during an appearance three days earlier on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez, a widely followed programme on West Coast Radio.
During the broadcast Sanyang, who recently returned from more than a decade in exile, sharply criticised the government. He alleged that the 2021 presidential elections were rigged, claiming that President Barrow’s mandate was not legitimately obtained. According to him, non-Gambians were registered and strategically housed to vote for the incumbent, a practice he compared to the system once used under former president Yahya Jammeh.
Three days later, he was arrested on August 17, 2025, at the Banjul International Airport. He was initially detained at the Airport Police Station before being transferred to the Criminal Intelligence and Interpol Bureau for screening, and subsequently moved to the Brusubi Police Station. The Ministry of Information has since confirmed that he is currently being held at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Brusubi. According to the authorities, Sanyang’s comments are considered to have significant national security implications.
The Media Foundation for West Africa urges the authorities to refer perceived unprofessional conduct to the media regulator rather than criminalising perceived press offenses with detention. The MFWA encourages the authorities to exercise their right to publication of rejoinders by issuing rejoinders to state their facts or their perspectives on issues rather than arresting and detaining media practitioners. The MFWA also urges media commentators and political analysts in The Gambia to exercise responsibility in their public statements, particularly on sensitive national issues.
