Dear Editor,
Stop referring to President Adama Barrow and his government as democratic, and stop calling him an empathetic leader.
To do so is not only misleading, but it also feels like mockery, an insult to the pain, frustration, and sacrifices of the Gambian people, especially the youth who have been at the forefront of calling out corruption and injustice.
A leader is defined by the will of his people, not by the applause of the outside world. The international praise president Barrow receives as a “peaceful” or “democratic” leader is dangerously misleading and disconnected from the reality on the ground.
How can a leader who has repeatedly clashed with the young people of his nation, ordered police crackdowns, tear gas, and unlawful arrests, be described as “empathetic”?
How can a leader who disregards the Gambian Constitution, oversteps due process, and unlawfully removes senior public servants from their posts simply because they refused to become ministers in his government be called “democratic”?
If there is anything crystal clear today, it is this: the Gambian people are deeply unhappy with the leadership of President Adama Barrow. The widespread corruption in his government has shattered the nation’s confidence and hope.
The soul of the Gambian youth is wounded, and we are tired of the unlawful arrests and imprisonment of our peers, whose only “crime” is speaking truth to power.
We are not asking the world to take sides. We are simply asking for honesty. Describing President Barrow as democratic or empathetic does not just whitewash the truth; it emboldens oppression.
We will not wait until Gambians start losing their lives to call this government what it truly is: undemocratic, repressive, and disconnected from the people.
As 2026 approaches, one thing is certain: if the next presidential elections are free, fair, and transparent, President Adama Barrow cannot and will not win, unless the process is manipulated.
The Gambian people are ready for change, and we demand that the world stop legitimizing what we are living through as ”a democracy.
We will continue to resist corruption and injustice, and we will not be silenced, arrest us all, kill us if you like, but we won’t be silenced!
Fatou Camara Jnr
The UDP and my politics of principle
Dear Editor,
There has been much speculation, misrepresentation, and outright distortion of facts regarding my departure from the United Democratic Party (UDP). I’ve seen comments such as “Melville, you started the resignation earlier this year, now others are following”.
Let me set the record straight once and for all. Yes, I resigned from the UDP and I did so on principle. I could not in good conscience remain in a political space where a person who violated my rights with absolute impunity could still be embraced and endorsed. It would mean that I am also endorsing the individual.
To me, principle is not negotiable. No political convenience, no tactical calculation, no empty solidarity could make me overlook that fundamental truth.
But let my resignation never be mistaken for blindness to reality. The UDP, with all its internal challenges, remains the single strongest opposition force in The Gambia. That fact is undeniable, and anyone who chooses to downplay it is indulging in wishful thinking at their own peril.
The UDP is not a dead party, it is very much alive, resilient, and rooted in the struggle for justice and democracy.
At the same time, the brutal reality remains that no single opposition party, including the UDP, can unseat the incumbent President Adama Barrow on its own.
The arithmetic of Gambian politics is simple: victory lies only in genuine coalition-building. If the UDP fails to readjust and refuses to recognise this reality, then it will fall short. Conversely, if other forces underestimate or dismiss the UDP, they too are setting themselves up for failure.
This is the crossroads at which Gambian politics now stands. The choice is squarely in the hands of the UDP and the wider opposition landscape who either embrace unity in diversity or remain trapped in the cycle of division that only empowers the incumbent.
For me, the principle remains the same. I resigned because I refused to compromise my conscience. But I will never compromise the truth that the UDP is a formidable opposition machine, and any political project that underestimates it is doomed to collapse before it even begins.
Melville Robertson Roberts
UK
