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Monday, February 17, 2025
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Resisting neocolonialism & defending Gambian sovereignty

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On this crisp morning of January 22, 2025, as I tuned into the vibrant Coffee Time program on West Coast Radio, a striking narrative unfolded: the British government is reportedly pressuring President Barrow’s administration to swiftly implement the TRRC’s recommendations, including prosecuting former President Yahya Jammeh and his alleged collaborators. While I have repeatedly cautioned against the perilous political and security consequences of such actions, the audacity of foreign meddling in our internal affairs cuts to the core of our sovereignty, evoking the unsettling spectre of colonial overreach.

This scenario harks back to the insidious era of British colonialism when the interests of the colonisers loomed large over the aspirations of the colonised. Who could forget the blatant disenfranchisement of the rural majority in the 1950s? Urban elites were propped up as the torchbearers of a so-called democracy, while the voices of the hinterlands were callously silenced. Yet, on that momentous day of February 18, 1965, we declared our independence, throwing off the yoke of imperial dominance. And now, in 2025, we must stand resolute, refusing to bow to the veiled paternalism cloaked in diplomatic overtures.

The TRRC, heralded as a path to justice, was riddled with foundational flaws. Unlike the truth commissions in Ghana, South Africa, or Rwanda, which upheld the sanctity of legal representation for the accused, the Gambian TRRC denied this fundamental right. Instead, it became a stage for unchecked authority, led by Essa Mbye Faal, whose dual role as investigator and prosecutor skewed the scales of justice. His antics, at times theatrical, alienated many, turning the commission’s proceedings into a politicised spectacle.

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Faal’s shift from TRRC lead counsel to presidential hopeful not only tainted the commission’s credibility but also betrayed its purpose. It was disheartening to witness him leveraging his role to target political adversaries and peddle narratives that served personal ambition rather than national healing. Gambians deserve better than to see their hard-fought sovereignty trivialised by foreign interference or self-serving political manoeuvres masquerading as justice.

As we forge ahead, let us safeguard the independence and dignity we earned through blood, sweat, and determination. Gambian sovereignty is not a relic of the past—it is a living, breathing principle that must be defended against all forms of encroachment, whether from foreign powers or internal machinations.

The TRRC Act, crafted by the National Assembly as a beacon of accountability and justice, was flagrantly disregarded when Faal was installed under dubious and shadowy circumstances orchestrated by then-Justice Minister Abubacarr Ba Tambadou. To this day, no official clarification has pierced the veil of secrecy surrounding the terms of Faal’s appointment, leaving a trail of unanswered questions that cast a long shadow over the principles of transparency and good governance.

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Faal’s unyielding pursuit of political power, highlighted by his audacious bid to unseat President Barrow in the 2021 and the upcoming 2026 elections, further entangles the legacy of the TRRC in a web of political intrigue. The implementation of its recommendations’ risks fracturing the delicate coalition that secured Barrow’s 2021 victory, particularly the critical support of his APRC allies. Alienating this bloc could unravel the NPP’s tenuous hold on its political future, placing the party on precarious ground as it looks toward the next electoral showdown.

Yet, perhaps the most alarming element in this unfolding saga is the meddling of former colonial powers, whose overbearing influence threatens to steer The Gambia toward instability. The decision to prosecute Jammeh and his cohorts should emanate from the will and wisdom of the Gambian people—not from the coercive dictates of foreign entities with their own agendas.

It is impossible to overlook the troubling role of the British government, whose foreign policies reek of hypocrisy and have sown discontent at home. Credible reports accuse the British Army of direct involvement in the calamitous Gaza conflict over the past 15 months. Acting as a strategic partner to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Britain reportedly aided in identifying targets for F-16 jets, drones, and missile strikes that unleashed unrelenting devastation upon Gaza’s defenseless population. The result was a catastrophic toll that drew the ire of over 170 UN member states, who condemned the campaign as a grotesque display of excessive and disproportionate force, a genocidal assault on the Palestinian people that demanded an immediate halt. And yet, Britain, with chilling indifference, turned a deaf ear to the cries of the international community, tacitly endorsing the horrors while deflecting attention from its moral culpability.

This is a clarion call for The Gambia to assert its sovereignty and chart a path that reflects the values, interests, and aspirations of its people, free from the manipulative grip of external forces.

Britain’s response to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Prime Minister Netanyahu and his associates over alleged war crimes against Palestinians was nothing short of a dramatic display of moral gymnastics. The staunch opposition it mounted to the ICC’s verdict, under the thinnest veils of justification, stands in glaring contrast to its current insistence that The Gambia fully implement the TRRC report. With an almost evangelical fervor, Britain demands the prosecution of former President Jammeh and others for alleged crimes against humanity, conveniently brushing aside the delicate tapestry of political and security implications this might unravel.

If Britain fancies itself the righteous custodian of moral and legal order, it would do well to cast its gaze inward—or perhaps across the Atlantic. The executive whims of President Donald Trump, since his inauguration on Monday, January 20, 2025, offer a kaleidoscope of actions ripe for scrutiny. Take, for instance, the relentless pressure from Britain and the EU since Jammeh’s 2017 departure, coercing The Gambia to enshrine LGBTQ rights in its constitution under the looming threat of sanctions. This demand rings especially hollow now, as Trump recently issued an executive order reducing gender to a binary construct— “male or female”—a campaign promise that secured his resounding electoral victory in December.

Trump’s defiance of judicial authority is equally jaw-dropping. He brazenly pardoned January 6 rioters, describing them as “political hostages,” and dismissed longstanding legal precedents with a flick of his pen, including the annulment of birthright citizenship—a constitutional cornerstone upheld by the US Supreme Court since 1898 under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Even in the realm of technology, Trump’s capriciousness knows no bounds. After the US Congress and Senate, in a rare bipartisan accord, passed legislation to ban TikTok over national security concerns—a move the Supreme Court upheld—Trump single-handedly overturned the decision at the eleventh hour. In a flourish of political theatre, he kept the app operational while promising a 75-day review, pandering to the electorate that swept him back into power.

Yet, Britain dares to lecture us? Before wagging its finger at The Gambia, perhaps it should grapple with the contradictions closer to home and among its allies. Hypocrisy, after all, casts the longest shadow when illuminated by the light of scrutiny.

Donald Trump shocked the world with audacious moves like pulling the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement and severing ties with the World Health Organization (WHO)—decisions that dwarf any attempt to pressure The Gambia into conformity with international legal norms.

If Britain is eager to export its values and legal edicts to former colonies, perhaps it should start with America, a nation that once bowed to its crown. Such an endeavour would set a far more persuasive example for the rest of the world.

Under the steady leadership of President Barrow, The Gambia stands as a beacon of peace and stability in the region. If preserving this hard-earned tranquillity demands a measured approach to the TRRC recommendations—tailoring them to fit our distinct political and social fabric—then that is the path we must unapologetically pursue.

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