The European Union Ambassador to The Gambia, His Excellency Attila Lajos has told forGambia radio that banning a political movement such as Gambia’s popular 3YRS Jotna group is not an action that carries the right message in a democracy.

The Ambassador was speaking to this paper’s radio Thursday morning, in an exclusive interview following recent political disturbances leading to arrests, detention, injuries, and shutting down of media houses earlier this week.

Mr. Lajos was not attacking any group or government in the over-one-hour-long interview with this medium. He was quick to add that he would not want to pre-empt the outcome of the due process in The Gambia regarding the fate of those in detention.

“One thing for sure is, BANNING A POLITICAL MOVEMENT NEVER CARRIES THE RIGHT MESSAGE for a democracy. That’s why I said that once the legal processes is completed, there will then be a ruling which will define whether the individuals in the process have any legal merit…”

“or if they might have committed some offense. I would not preempt this process and I would not speculate what would be the outcome. There is a due process for the ruling at the end,” he continued. The ambassador pokes at a room for dialogue between the authorities and political groups.

Please listen to the rest of the interview on forGambia radio by clicking the play button at the top right corner of this page under listen here.