Police in The Gambia on Monday killed two anti-pollution protesters.
The two young men were killed during a protest in a village to demand an end to sand excavation.
AFP reports that the protesters were demonstrating against the sand excavation which they say is damaging their rice fields.
Police officials said the villagers clashed with police officers resulting in the deaths. The office of the Inspector General of Police said in a statement that the deaths are “regrettable”.
“The office of the Inspector General of Police wishes to make it clear that it did not authorise the use of fire arms and will investigate the circumstances that led to this unfortunate incident,” the statement said.
Apart from the two deaths recorded, several other villagers were said to have sustained injuries.
Gambia the most holiday hotspot has become overrun with polluted beaches as violence in Faraba escalates to unprecedented levels two environmentalists killed and dozens injured @amnestyusa @BBCAfrica @UN @AlJazeera @EU_Commission @EUCouncil pic.twitter.com/F8XTWuNrtR
— NjieJatta (@NjieIsatou20) June 18, 2018
Past clashes
In May police officers again clashed with villagers of Faraba Banta during a similar protest. Police officers used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse them.
There has been sustained agitation from these villagers over the impact of sand excavation on their farmers’ land.
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Source: Africafeeds.com
