The Gambia’s political tensions deepened on Monday after plain-clothes police forcibly removed Auditor General Momodou Ceesay from his office, sparking outrage and fresh protests against President Adama Barrow’s government. Ceesay, who had served nearly three years in the role, was reassigned by Barrow in a recent reshuffle and offered the post of trade minister. He says he rejected the appointment, but the president insists Ceesay initially accepted before backtracking. Critics argue the move was designed to replace Ceesay with a more compliant figure, as the National Audit Office has faced mounting pressure to investigate corruption allegations within Barrow’s administration.
Barrow named Cherno Amadou Sowe, Director of Internal Audit, as the new auditor general, but Sowe has not assumed office amid widespread public criticism. The standoff escalated dramatically when police entered the audit office during a live press conference Ceesay was holding. His staff initially blocked the officers, but backup forces eventually dragged him out and escorted him to his lawyer’s office. The incident, streamed live on local media pages, quickly went viral and drew anger from activists and young Gambians, many of whom threatened street protests in the capital, Banjul, if Ceesay was not reinstated.
Prominent activist Kemo Fatty, in a widely shared video, accused Barrow of undermining accountability: “He refused your appointment. Now you forcibly remove him out of the office? Are the Gambian people not watching?” Fatty and fellow campaigner Alieu Bah were later arrested after attempting to address journalists outside the audit office. The clash comes against a backdrop of growing unrest. In recent months, Barrow’s government has faced a wave of protests after investigative newspaper The Republic alleged that assets seized from former president Yahya Jammeh had been distributed among Barrow’s close allies. Barrow has denied wrongdoing.
In a statement, the presidency defended Ceesay’s reassignment as being based on his “qualifications and experience,” insisting it was not meant to interfere with the independence of the National Audit Office. The government reaffirmed its commitment to “rule of law, transparency, accountability, and responsible management of public finances.” But with Ceesay’s ouster and fresh arrests of activists, many Gambians fear the country’s fragile democratic gains are under strain
