Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG) has removed the controversial security checkpoint in Bwiam following years of sustained protests by residents of Wiam and the wider Foni communities, intensified by the recent death of a hospital worker in a road accident at the site.
The checkpoint was dismantled on Wednesday after the death of Abdoulie Badjie, a staff member of Bwiam General Hospital, who was struck by a vehicle at the ECOMIG checkpoint while on his way to work.
His death reignited public anger over the safety risks associated with the checkpoint, which residents have long described as dangerous and unnecessary.
The removal was witnessed by the National Assembly Member for Foni Kansala, Hon. Almameh Gibba, alongside ward councillors Hon. Tijan Manga and Hon. Ousman Jammeh, as well as the area chief, Ali Nyassi.
Consultations Lead to Alternative Safety Measures
The dismantling followed intensive consultations last week involving the Gambian government, national defense and security officials, ECOMIG, and the Senegalese military high command.
During the discussions, all parties agreed to replace the wooden log barricade at the checkpoint with speed bumps and road signboards to improve traffic safety without compromising security.
Engineers from the National Roads Authority (NRA) were on site to carry out the work, marking a shift from militarized barriers to conventional traffic-calming measures.
Earlier this year, after another fatal accident at the same location in mid-January, Hon. Gibba publicly expressed grave concern over the continued loss of lives at the Bwiam checkpoint, calling for urgent intervention.
“We have lost a lot of lives at the Bwiam checkpoint, including properties. This checkpoint is said to bring us security, but it has only brought us sadness. This checkpoint is killing our people one after the other,” the lawmaker said.
Hon. Gibba disclosed that he formally reported the matter to the Minister of Defence, the National Security Council, and the Director of Intelligence, stressing the human cost of inaction. “The death of this young man is very sad and inhumane. He was headlong to work when he encountered such a dehumanizing death,” he added.
Longstanding Community Opposition
The Bwiam checkpoint was established after the defeat of former President Yahya Jammeh and has remained one of the most visible symbols of ECOMIG’s presence in the Foni region.
For many residents, it has come to represent what they perceive as the continued occupation of their land by foreign troops.
Community leaders have repeatedly raised concerns over both safety and sovereignty. In 2022, Haruna Badjie, then secretary general of the Foni Agency for Rural Development (FARD), described the checkpoint as “ill-placed,” blaming it for multiple accidents and accusing authorities of indifference.
“We are appalled by the continued occupation of our region by foreign troops,” he said at the time, adding that the checkpoint had caused several avoidable tragedies.
The removal of the Bwiam checkpoint is being welcomed locally as a long-overdue response to community concerns, though residents say they will continue to monitor whether the alternative safety measures effectively prevent further loss of life.
