The United Democratic Party (UDP) has condemned the use of tear gas and “disproportionate force” by the Gambia police against supporters of the “No-to-Alliance Movement” at the Tallinding Buffer Zone recreational park.

The party leader, Ousainu Darboe, expressed dismay at the disruption and called on the Gambia Police Service (IGP) to apologize to the organizers and compensate for any harm caused to life or property. The party calls for the police to transition away from brutal dictatorship tactics.

The Gambia Police Force used tear gas to disperse a peaceful assembly of citizens on Independence Day, despite the long-awaited national dialogue aimed at sanitizing Gambian politics.

In a public statement issued to that effect, the UDP has expressed concerns about the APRC’s weaponization of state institutions, including arbitrary arrests, detention, and state violence, which dictator Jammeh used to stifle dissent but failed to suppress opposition to his tyrannical government.

The lead opposition party in The Gambia said, “UDP respectfully urges the security forces and public servants to honor their oaths of office and to faithfully serve the constitution and laws of The Gambia without fear, favor, ill will, or affection. Mindful of the necessity to disobey unlawful orders where those orders violate the human rights of citizens. The mantra of the TRRC, “Never Again,” must mean that ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’.

“Therefore, it is our collective responsibility to safeguard the state and to secure all life liberty and equal protection of the law. As a nation, we cannot say we shall engage in dialogue with a view to cleansing our politics and immediately thereafter attack a rival political group with tear gas.”