The Gambia, a West African nation surrounded entirely by Senegal, has recently seen a worrying rise in tribal divisions. With a population of fewer than five million and a deeply rooted traditional society, concerns about increasing tribalism, exclusion, and marginalisation have drawn national and international concern. In June 2024, the CEO of Peace Network, Alassan Justice Jallow, warned of signs of potential violent conflict in the country, including hate speech, disinformation, and misinformation around ethnic and religious attacks.
To tackle these issues, a coalition of peace-focused organisations, including Activista The Gambia, Safe Home for Migrants Association (SaHMA), Global Platform, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, launched a 10-day peace caravan in February 2025.
Backed by the UN Peacebuilding Fund’s Women and Youth Project, the initiative targeted communities across the Banjul, West Coast, and Upper River regions in the smallest African country.
Taking the message to the people
Ansumana Camara, the national coordinator of Activista The Gambia, told Peace News Network (PNN) that activists used the caravan to bring elders, women, and young people together to discuss peace and harmony.
He said that during the trip, activists visited districts and met with village heads and community leaders to advocate for the inclusion of youth in development committees and women in district tribunals.
Camara noted the grassroots impact of such engagements. He said: We took the message directly to where people live, work, markets, public spaces, because these are the voices often left out of policy conversations. We made sure they were heard.
In marketplaces like Barra, Farafenni, Kaur, and Basse, the Peace Caravan delivered lively musical performances and serious conversations. Camara noted:
We targeted these places because the people there, especially women, are the backbone of society. They must not be left behind.
Camara recalled the success of similar initiatives during the last election cycle. He said the activists organised a caravan to promote peaceful elections and voter education. This experience, he said, showed them how effective direct community engagement can be in building trust and awareness.
Confronting tribalism and empowering women
Amie Jobe, a peace activist and representative of SaHMA, said that tribalism is one of the most pervasive issues they’re confronting. “Most of these communities are struggling with tribalism,” she noted.
She added that there are deep divisions around identity and inclusion. This, Jobe said, was why the caravan participants came together to speak openly and honestly about peace and inclusion.
Ousman Baldeh, Programme Manager at Global Platform, also highlighted the urgent need to address rising tribalism head-on. He told PNN:
Tribalism is rising in The Gambia. People are beginning to identify more with their tribes than with the nation. Some political parties are aligned with particular tribes, and that means even if you are competent for a position other tribes may not vote for you.
Jobe emphasised that including women in community structures is critical, as many village women are sidelined. She noted: They raise the kids, they farm, but they don’t have a voice in leadership. When women are included, they feel represented. They know there is someone they can talk to about their problems.
She explained that the group brought women and men together, old and young, to have one conversation about peace, because unity is powerful. It builds understanding, and it builds a future, Jobe said.
Challenges on the ground
But the caravan’s work isn’t easy. Jobe admitted:
One of our biggest challenges is resources. We can’t reach every village the way we want to. And sometimes people misinterpret our work as political. That discourages them from participating.
Baldeh stressed the importance of taking peacebuilding beyond workshops and into the streets. He said that the caravan offers an opportunity to bring the message to people directly:
You can’t only talk about peace on TV or in conferences. How many people in rural villages can access those platforms?
Baldeh said that the caravan is meeting with chiefs, youth, women, and everyone who has a stake in peace. He said that participants were asking authorities to include marginalised groups in their decision-making processes.
Listening and tackling taboos
The caravan was also an opportunity for the activists to listen. Baldeh said that when caravan activists speak, children and youth speak back, and participants hear about their problems. This way, the purpose is not merely to preach peace and inclusion, but to create a dialogue. He said this is a way to overcome some of the long-standing caste and traditional challenges that persist in many rural Gambian communities. He noted:
In some rural areas, people who are considered ‘slaves’ by traditional standards can’t even speak during meetings… They can’t marry who they want. This is part of the problem. To build peace, we need to promote inclusion at all levels regardless of tribe, gender, or background.
He said peacebuilding is not easy, but warned that if issues of tribalism, marginalisation, and inequality are not addressed, it will affect everything: the economy, politics, and people’s daily lives.
Lasting impact and future hope
The Peace Caravan’s impact was clear: Village leaders committed to include youth in development structures and women in community tribunals. Elders opened their ears. Youth opened their hearts. And across regions, the music, the dance, and the dialogue brought people together.
This is why in one of the meetings with elders, Alkalo Sailu Bah of Basse emphasised the importance of the caravan’s mission and advised the organisers to always preach peace and remain steadfast in nation-building.
A vendor at the bustling Serekunda market echoed the caravan’s sentiment by telling the organisers:
Without peace, we cannot even come to the market to sell. We all have a responsibility to maintain peace and we need to be reminded of it every day.
As The Gambia confronts complex challenges from traditional hierarchies to political polarisation, initiatives like the Peace Caravan are proving that grassroots peacebuilding remains not just relevant but essential.
This article by Mohammed Ibrahim was originally published by Peace News Network on April 14, 2025. An edited version is republished on Global Voices as part of a media partnership agreement.
