A group of young people called the “Arr Banjul movement” together with some activists organized an awareness campaign march on Monday, August 22nd to call for the deindustrialization of TanbiWetland  in banjul.

 Ousainou Colley who is part of the movement claimed that the Tanbi Wetland was the main source for the water to go to the wetland, but said that this has all been interrupted as a result of the activities happening in the area and further claimed that it is because some business people corrupted the authorities for their own capital gains.

He further stated that the purpose of the march was for preserving the island to protect them from further sea rises and inundation and also to restore Tanbi wetland in order for it to continue to be an attractive area for birds and a breeding ground for fishes and to also preserve the livelihood of those who rely on it for their daily survival.Further emphasis was made that the protest was necessary amid issues affecting the lives and livelihoods of Banjulians.

 “Our movement is apolitical and our message is to sensitize people about what is happening in Banjul and we are not going out to cause problems as we are the voice of the people, hence we are speaking on behalf of Banjulians,” ousainou said.

The fight to save the country’s capital city, he said, starts today.

 On Sunday evening the police issued a statement urging people not to partake in their march past, claiming that Arr Banjul Movement was not issued  police permit to hold the march past.

Ousainou said that lots of people wanted to join this  protest march, but because the police press release discouraged a lot of people from participating and said that the  authorities have to know that they will keep up with this momentum with the objective of ensuring that they want to save Banjul as this is the capital they  have and the environment of Banjul is threatened and therefore they can’t sit and allow that to continue.

The much talked about Banjul Road and Rehabilitation Project he said, was not done the way it was supposed to be done despite the injection of millions of dollars into the project and claimed that this has all contributed to the flooding in Banjul.

Tanbi Wetland is on the southern channel at the mouth of the RiverGambia. It encompasses a total area of about 6,000 hectares, of which mangroves make up 4,800 hectares, located to the west and south west of Banjul. The northernmost portion of the complex skirts the Kankujeri Road of Banjul and includes Cape Creek. It encompasses the western shores ofSt. Mary Island and extends to the south east towards Lamin and Mandinari Village