By Hadram Hydara
Deputy Head of Mission at the Gambia High Commission in London, Suntou Touray, has dismissed claims made by former army officer Abdoulie Sanyang during a recent appearance on West Coast Radio’s Coffee Time with Peter Gomez.
In a statement, Touray said Sanyang’s assertion that the two met during human rights advocacy meetings in Geneva was false. “I categorically refute this claim. I have never met Mr Abdoulie Sanyang in person, neither in The Gambia, Geneva, nor anywhere else,” he said.
Touray clarified that his only interaction with Sanyang was a brief exchange via Skype many years ago. He detailed his participation in Geneva-based events in 2014 and 2015, stating, “At no point during these engagements did I meet, interact with, or work alongside Mr Sanyang.”
He accused Sanyang of making “exaggerations and fabrications” that undermine the sacrifices of genuine activists. “Public discourse, particularly on matters as weighty as our national struggle, must be grounded in truth, integrity, and sincerity — not in grandstanding or self-promotion,” Touray said.
Responding to Sanyang’s comparison between President Adama Barrow and former dictator Yahya Jammeh, Touray said the remarks were “deeply unfair.” He added, “Mr Sanyang never set foot in The Gambia during the darkest years of dictatorship, yet today he freely visits the country… This is testimony to the open democratic space and freedom of expression under President Barrow’s leadership.”
Touray ended by urging honesty and constructive dialogue in national discourse, saying, “Our people deserve nothing less.”
Sanyang, who fled The Gambia during the Jammeh regime and has been living in Switzerland, was arrested at Banjul International Airport while trying to board a flight back to Europe. According to police, Sanyang’s arrest was prompted by remarks he made during a recent appearance on West Coast Radio’s “Coffee Time with Peter Gomez” that were related to “national security.”
