Gambians have expressed concerned in the ongoing deadly communal clash between residents of Gunjur and Berending. Many took to social media to express their views. Below is a selection of some of their comments:

My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Gunjur and Berending. Now is NOT the time to judge who is right or wrong but please remember that Gambia has a history of being one of the most peaceful countries in the world. I know this is a very difficult time for both communities but please keep the peace and allow the law to take its course.

I believe that we can do this for our beloved Gambia. I am currently out of the country, but my heart is with you all.

Fatu Camara, CEO Fatu Network

The signs are there for Barrow to expedite the Security Sector Reform now. The Gambians are now fond of taking the law in their hands and this is a very bad sign for the country. The Government have to realize that all these communal tensions correlate to political affiliation especially given the current status quo. If Barrow is not fit to handle the affairs of the country, let him gracefully recuse himself NOW!

Mulie Dubois

We are playing with our security and it is very bad for our country

Tamsir Gaye

I think The Gambia Police Force and SIS domestic intelligence gathering units should do a better job in assessing potential risks in highly-charge and volatile situations like the ongoing Berending and Gunjur clashes over land. This critical information should be shared with proper authorities and law enforcement agents in a timely manner so that they can take appropriate measures to avert loss of life for both security and civilians.

Pa Ousman Jaiteh

Which kind of Gambia do we want to create my dear people? We now resort to killing people for land that doesn’t belong to us. We found these lands here and we shall leave it here. The government has to deal with this land issues ruthlessly,  it’s getting out of hands.

Sang Mendy

When I heard of the machetes and knives my mind goes back to Rwanda where that genocide started with machetes and knives. The government has to be very careful with this land disputes as it is between communities of different tribes. Please don’t quote me wrong with the tribes I mentioned but you never know what will happen. Any civil war in this world starts with a minor issue. So Gambia wakes up.

Gainde Bah

The government has to take very strict measures toward this land issues. 
People have to stop this primitive thinking ( my great grandfathers gave their great grandfathers land to settle in) what does that mean?

Habib Njie

 The behaviour of our president has a link to what is going on right now. Some people are beginning to feel that they can commit a crime and nothing, nothing will come out of it. Besides, I’m telling our president today, inaction in itself is a big PROVOCATION. Failure to tell the truth for fear of losing support in some quarters will only embolden the criminals.

Kangburama Ceesay

Gambians lets us discipline ourselves and exercise patience. Let us try and distinguish what are our rights and what are our privileges.  We are misinterpreting democracy for our own selfish ends. If we did not mind we will be killing each other whereby NO SECURITY UNIT will come to our aid because anywhere a civilian hold a weapon and attack a security, the personnel must defend him or herself and in that defence it’s a loss-loss situation anything can happened ( God forbid ). Lack of discipline is a high price to pay should we vandalise our own property and kill one another.

Yesterday they attack the police station and throwing stones at an IGP vehicle who came to sympathize and establish justice and today shootings again. If the securities are not present they shift the blame on them and now they are there , look at what is happening. No matter how hard the situation is, if we do not dialogue we will never come to a fruitful conclusion. The law is here and no one is above the law. If one does not obey and abide by the law; the law will consume you. Let us respect our security apparatus as they are here to protect lives and properties. It should be a sole responsibility to all religious heads and the village heads to converge and knock some sense into the heads of their own natives in order to create awareness. My perception is the youth of this country including myself has failed our country because we failed to take our own responsibilities as leaders of tomorrow. Let’s emancipate our self from the believe that whatever goes right or wrong it’s the government because the government cannot do everything for us. There are institutions in place for settling land disputes let’s surrender all our concerns to them and wait rather than confronting each other.  It only instigates more problems. One Gambia! One People! One Nation!

Bai Babba Ndow

Let us take our time and pray for peace between the two communities.
Communal clash is always difficult to control. The government is trying to solve it, that’s why the police, the ECOMIG and the army are deployed there.
Let us not always jump and start unnecessarily criticizing the government on issues you just heard but know nothing about it.

Fasaloum Kolley

Truth is bitter at times but Barrow should concentrate on uniting our divided fragile people, create more jobs and create stability. But when a President is power drunk saying are you in or out slogans instead of making reforms sacking the very people who aided and helped Jammeh on his reckless killings are still in the system what do you expect a failed or progressive state?
Now barrow’s worst enemies are those who fought for him and his darlings are those who praise him, hypocrites and Jammeh enablers
My condolences to the families we are one nation one people

Lamin Sundiata

Taking the law in your own hands is dangerous let us love our motherland and save it, we can see what is happening in other countries around us.

Lamin Darboe