Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – A deepening divergence has emerged between two of The Gambia’s most vocal youth movements, Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA) and Team Gom Sa Bopa, following protests over the controversial removal of Auditor General Modou Ceesay.
The split, which has played out on social media and in public statements, reflects growing tensions over strategy and leadership within the country’s activist community.
Ceesay’s dismissal on 15 September 2025, widely criticized by civil society groups as an “attack on public institutions” and a “violation of the rule of law,” triggered plans for a three-day protest to demand his reinstatement and the release of four young activists detained for showing solidarity.
While GALA initially supported the demonstrations, the group later announced it was suspending the planned protest pending police approval. The move drew sharp reactions from some activists who accused GALA of retreating from confrontation with authorities.
Amid the backlash, Team Gom Sa Bopa, led by rapper-activist Ali “Killa Ace” Cham, was accused online of discouraging people from taking to the streets. The group has forcefully rejected the allegations, calling them “false and aimed at dividing young people.”
In a detailed statement, Team Gom Sa Bopa defended its track record of supporting detained activists. “Recently, three of our members, Yusef Taylor, Lamin Sey, and Ali Cham, while out on court bail themselves, spent hours checking on detained comrades at Kairaba and Kotu police stations, ensuring their welfare and delivering food. At no point were derogatory comments made,” it said.
Cham himself took to social media to clarify his position, stressing that he was not an organizer of the protest and could not risk breaching his bail conditions. “I will never sacrifice anyone by feeding them to the crocodiles,” he wrote. “I’m a radical in my own way but won’t move recklessly or without proper calculation.”
Cham also accused police of “dictatorial” intimidation and called for the unconditional release of the detained activists.
Team Gom Sa Bopa’s leadership has since tried to steer the focus back to unity and accountability. In a follow-up statement issued on 16 September, the movement reiterated its mission to “put The Gambia first” and urged other youth groups to join forces in demanding good governance. “No single group can hold government accountable alone. Together, we can demand accountability and build a better Gambia,” it said.
Yet, the widening gap between GALA’s more cautious approach and Team Gom Sa Bopa’s increasingly defiant tone has exposed fractures in a youth movement once seen as a united front.
With tensions rising and arrests continuing, the coming weeks will test whether these groups can overcome their differences or drift further apart as they push for institutional accountability.
