The Gambia government has confirmed that the water cannon truck it bought is to be used on protesters who resort to rioting.

Interior Minister Ebrima Mballow told a politically rally in Brikama 35 kilometre south of Banjul that “the water cannon is intended to be used on protesters who intent to disrupt the peace and tranquillity of the country.”

However, he denied the government buying riot gears and armoured tankers but said that “what we brought in is water cannon truck. It will spray hot water on anyone who resorts to rudeness.”

He claimed that the water cannon truck aims to be use on people who want to destabilise the peace of the country while warning against unauthorised protests, saying that “anyone who engages in unauthorised protest must be ready to confront the hot water from the water cannon truck.”

He slammed the Diaspora Gambia of inventing and igniting the 3 years ‘jotna’ while warning locals to desist from engaging in any future protest.

“We know that there are people in the Diaspora who are pushing you to embark on the three years jotna campaign by telling you three years this and three years that. I’m warning you not to listen to them because if anyone engages in this protest we will not sit and watch you destroy the country,” he said.

“Let us not allow ourselves to be used by those in the Diaspora and elsewhere on this three years Jotna issue. Let us respect the dictates of the constitution because we will not allow anything that may destabilise the country,” Mballow said.

However, many Gambians have rejected the remarks of the Interior Minister, describing the government position with the water cannon truck as ‘a state without a vision.’

Reporting by Adama Makasuba