Suntou Touray's Response to Mr. Abdoulie Sanyang’s Remarks on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez

By Suntou Touray – DHM London

Former Gambian army officer, Mr. Abdoulie Sanyang, now based in Switzerland, recently appeared on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez on West Coast Radio. In that interview, while recounting his supposed role in the struggle against the former dictator Yahya Jammeh, Mr. Sanyang made several claims that are misleading and require immediate correction. Most notably, he alleged that he met me in Geneva during human rights advocacy meetings. This is categorically false. I have never met Mr. Abdoulie Sanyang in person—neither in The Gambia, Geneva, nor anywhere else. The only interaction I recall with him was a brief greeting over Skype many years ago, long before WhatsApp and other modern platforms became common. For clarity: I attended the 2014 Universal Periodic Review (UPR) advocacy meeting in Geneva, organized by Mr. Yaya Dampha of Amnesty International Sweden, where we engaged with UN officials on Gambia’s human rights crisis under dictatorship. I also participated in the 2015 Socialist International Conference in Geneva alongside Mrs. Janiaba Bah (Sweden) and Mr. Yahya Darboe (USA), representing the UDP. At no point was Mr. Sanyang present in any of these forums. His attempt to insert himself into events where he played no role is misleading and disingenuous. These fabrications undermine the sacrifices of Gambians—both at home and in the diaspora—who genuinely risked their lives, freedom, and livelihoods in the fight for democracy. History must be told with honesty, not embellished with false claims of heroism. Equally troubling was Mr. Sanyang’s comparison between the presidency of H.E. President Adama Barrow and the brutal dictatorship of Yahya Jammeh. Such comparisons are both dishonest and unfair. Let us be reminded: Mr. Sanyang never set foot in The Gambia during the years of dictatorship, yet today he freely enters the country, grants interviews, and criticises openly without fear. That freedom itself is a testament to the democratic space created under President Barrow’s leadership. Unlike Jammeh’s regime of repression and fear, President Barrow’s administration accommodates dissent, tolerates criticism, and strengthens the rule of law. To equate this openness with dictatorship is not only an insult to the truth but also an insult to those who suffered under real tyranny. For the sake of historical accuracy and respect for those who sacrificed everything for The Gambia’s freedom, we must ensure that our national dialogue is rooted in truth, integrity, and sincerity—not self-promotion or fantasy. Mr. Sanyang’s distortions cannot and must not go unchallenged. I rest my case.