The Minister of Tourism Hamat Bah has apologised and withdrawn his comments with immediate effect following a public backlash. 

Bah sparked anger among Gambians on 17th October 2020 when he boldly called the opposition as ‘rats’.

“I never intended to call my colleague dirimos in the context that it is taken from. I became a bit sarcastic, politicians usually are sarcastic. But you think my Honourable colleagues I have struggled with, I will call them rats? Dirimos as the highly classic species that is very dangerous, that goes to get it done.” 

Bah added that he was only warning, advising the supporters of Adama Barrow that they cannot be complacent, because the ‘dirimos’ are after them and will destroy them.

The Tourism Minister concluded that “If at any level, somebody interprets that dirimo as rat on anybody, I apologise and I withdraw that immediately.”


By: Sarjo D. Bojang