A land dispute case was heard by the Foni Berefet District Tribunal on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, at the District Chief’s residence in Somita Village. Lalo Badjie claimed the disputed land, currently occupied by Dodou Tamba, originally belonged to his grandfather, whom he described as the founder of Kanaw Village. Badjie stated his family left Kanaw and settled in Somita about 100 years ago, asserting that Tamba had settled on land belonging to his family without their consent.
Badjie recounted that about two years prior, he intended to send Pa Solo Sanyang to meet Dodou Tamba in an effort to resolve the matter peacefully. However, Dodou Tamba countered, saying Pa Solo Sanyang had never approached him regarding the disputed land. Badjie further explained that the settlement followed what he referred to as the “Kanaw incident” in 1992, after which his father instructed Landingba Tamba, identified as the first Alkalo of Kanaw, to relocate the village because it was too close to the border with Casamance. Badjie added that his father subsequently allowed them to settle and cultivate the land, and he decided to pursue the matter because gardens had recently been established on the land. Dodou Tamba maintained that Lalo Badjie owned no land in Kanaw and asserted there had never been any land dispute between them, adding that he had never seen Lalo farming on the land in question.
Plaintiff's Claims and History
Plaintiff Lalo Badjie, a 74-year-old resident of Somita, testified before the Foni Berefet District Tribunal regarding his land dispute with defendant Dodou Tamba. Badjie asserted that the disputed land, currently occupied by Tamba, originally belonged to his grandfather, whom he identified as the founder of Kanaw Village. Badjie stated, "the disputed land currently occupied by Dodou Tamba originally belonged to my grandfather, whom I described as the founder of Kanaw Village." He informed the tribunal that his family relocated from Kanaw and settled in Somita approximately 100 years ago, explaining, "my family left Kanaw and settled in Somita about 100 years ago." Badjie, who was born in Somita, alleged that Dodou Tamba had settled on land belonging to his family without their consent. He told the tribunal, "Dodou Tamba had settled on land belonging to his family without their consent."
Badjie further testified that about two years prior, he had intended to send Pa Solo Sanyang to meet Dodou Tamba in an attempt to resolve the matter peacefully. He recounted, "about two years ago, I intended to send Pa Solo Sanyang to meet Dodou Tamba in an effort to resolve the matter peacefully." However, Dodou Tamba countered this claim, stating, "Pa Solo Sanyang had never approached him regarding the disputed land." Badjie explained that the settlement of people from Kanaw on the disputed land followed what he referred to as the "Kanaw incident" in 1992. Badjie clarified that "they were people from Casamance" who settled there, and added, "the settlement followed what he referred to as the 'Kanaw incident' in 1992."
Following this incident, Badjie's father instructed Landingba Tamba, whom Badjie identified as the first Alkalo of Kanaw, to relocate the village. Badjie quoted his father's reasoning, saying, "after the incident my father instructed Landingba Tamba, whom I identified as the first Alkalo of Kanaw, to relocate the village because it was too close to the border with Casamance." Badjie’s father subsequently permitted them to settle and cultivate the land. Badjie explained, "my father subsequently allowed them to settle and cultivate the land." He ultimately decided to pursue the matter legally because gardens had recently been established on the land, despite waiting approximately 34 years since the original events. Badjie stated, "he decided to pursue the matter because gardens had recently been established on the land." Dodou Tamba, however, maintained that Lalo Badjie owned no land in Kanaw and asserted, "Lalo Badjie owned no land in Kanaw and maintained that there had never been any land dispute between them." Tamba also added, "he had never seen Lalo farming on the land in question."
Defendant's Rebuttal
Dodou Tamba, a resident of Kanaw, rejected all allegations made by Lalo Badjie before the Foni Berefet District Tribunal, insisting that Badjie owned no land in Kanaw. Tamba maintained there had never been any land dispute between them, asserting, "Lalo Badjie owned no land in Kanaw and maintained that there had never been any land dispute between them." Tamba also stated that he had never seen Lalo Badjie farming on the land in question, telling the tribunal, "he had never seen Lalo farming on the land in question."
Tamba specifically denied Badjie's claim that Pa Solo Sanyang had attempted to mediate the dispute. Badjie had testified that "about two years ago, I intended to send Pa Solo Sanyang to meet Dodou Tamba in an effort to resolve the matter peacefully." However, Tamba countered this assertion, stating, "Pa Solo Sanyang had never approached him regarding the disputed land." Tamba's testimony directly contradicted Badjie's account, where Badjie claimed the disputed land, currently occupied by Tamba, originally belonged to his grandfather, whom he described as "the founder of Kanaw Village." Badjie had also stated his family left Kanaw and settled in Somita about 100 years ago, explaining, "my family left Kanaw and settled in Somita about 100 years ago." Badjie had further alleged that "Dodou Tamba had settled on land belonging to his family without their consent."
Badjie had explained that the settlement of people from Kanaw on the disputed land followed what he referred to as the "Kanaw incident" in 1992, noting "they were people from Casamance" and that "the settlement followed what he referred to as the 'Kanaw incident' in 1992." Badjie’s father had then instructed Landingba Tamba, identified as the first Alkalo of Kanaw, to relocate the village because "it was too close to the border with Casamance," according to Badjie. Badjie added that his father "subsequently allowed them to settle and cultivate the land," and he decided to pursue the matter because "gardens had recently been established on the land." Dodou Tamba's rebuttal sought to dismantle these claims by denying any prior land ownership or dispute with Lalo Badjie.
Tribunal Proceedings and Context
During the tribunal proceedings, Lalo Badjie identified the defendant's witnesses as "people from Casamance." Badjie had previously testified that the disputed land, currently occupied by Dodou Tamba, originally belonged to his grandfather, whom he described as "the founder of Kanaw Village." Badjie also stated that "my family left Kanaw and settled in Somita about 100 years ago," and alleged that "Dodou Tamba had settled on land belonging to his family without their consent." He recounted that "about two years ago, I intended to send Pa Solo Sanyang to meet Dodou Tamba in an effort to resolve the matter peacefully." Badjie explained that "the settlement followed what he referred to as the 'Kanaw incident' in 1992," and noted that "they were people from Casamance" who had settled there. He also mentioned that "after the incident my father instructed Landingba Tamba, whom I identified as the first Alkalo of Kanaw, to relocate the village because it was too close to the border with Casamance," adding that "my father subsequently allowed them to settle and cultivate the land." Badjie concluded his earlier statement by saying "he decided to pursue the matter because gardens had recently been established on the land."
District Chief Junkung Camara stated his personal knowledge of Landingba Tamba's arrival in The Gambia. Chief Camara informed the tribunal, "I knew when Landingba Tamba came to The Gambia because Landingba was a nephew of the Badjie Kunda family." Following the testimonies and initial arguments, the Foni Berefet District Tribunal adjourned the case. The proceedings are set to resume on Wednesday, 22 July 2026.
