By Mohammed Jallow
In every democratic transition, nations are tested not only by the strength of their institutions but by the moral courage of their citizens to choose peace over vengeance, unity over division, and progress over perpetual retrospection. The Gambia our beloved homeland stands once again at such a crossroads. From independence to the present day, every administration that has risen to power has seemingly been shadowed by commissions, inquiries, and political retribution. This cyclical pattern, while sometimes justified under the banner of justice and accountability, has too often diverted national energy from the most sacred mission of all: building a prosperous, united, and dignified nation for every Gambian.
When Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara led this nation to independence in 1965, he embodied an era of diplomacy, tolerance, and gradual development. His government, anchored on the ideals of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), prioritized peace and stability at a time when much of Africa was engulfed in coups and ideological warfare. Jawara’s administration cultivated the values of coexistence and restraint a political virtue that preserved our democracy for nearly three decades. However, the twilight of his rule was followed by discontent, accusations of corruption, and ultimately, the 1994 coup d’état led by then-Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh.
When Jammeh seized power, his rhetoric promised a moral revolution a breakaway from the perceived excesses of the PPP era. Yet, instead of healing national wounds, his government began by banning the PPP and launching commissions of inquiry designed, in part, to dismantle his predecessors and consolidate his legitimacy. What could have been a time for national introspection and reform became a period of retribution and suppression. The PPP leaders who once governed were dragged through years of humiliation, as the instruments of governance became tools of personal and political vendetta.
Two decades later, in 2016, history repeated itself with uncanny familiarity. The fall of Jammeh’s regime was celebrated as a triumph of democracy and the restoration of freedom. President Adama Barrow’s ascension to power rekindled hope and optimism. The Gambia, the world declared, was “smiling again.” Yet, in the euphoria of liberation, the same old cycle reemerged. Commissions were once again established the Janneh Commission, the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), and several other inquiries. While these commissions carried noble intentions to expose injustice, return stolen assets, and restore the dignity of victims they also risked entrenching division when their outcomes were perceived through partisan lenses.
Now, as the political tides shift once more and new forces position themselves for leadership, the pattern threatens to repeat itself. The call for yet another commission this time by those who seek to probe the Barrow administration raises a critical question: When will The Gambia learn that perpetual inquiries and finger-pointing, while sometimes justified, cannot substitute for the collective will to build, reconcile, and progress?
Governance, at its core, is not a weapon to destroy political rivals but a sacred trust to serve the nation. Justice is essential, yes, but justice without reconciliation breeds resentment; accountability without compassion divides rather than heals. Our political culture must evolve beyond the reflex of vindication to the higher discipline of reconstruction. We must channel our collective energy toward nation building toward building institutions that work, roads that connect, hospitals that heal, schools that inspire, and industries that sustain.
Let us remember that no nation ever developed through inquiries alone. Nations rise through collective purpose, shared sacrifice, and disciplined execution. The Gambia today needs less of commissions and more of commitments commitments to good governance, public discipline, and civic hygiene.
Public hygiene, both physical and moral, is the soul of national renewal. A clean city reflects a clean conscience. Our streets, our markets, our rivers, and our minds all require cleansing from the litter of indiscipline, corruption, and complacency. It is no longer enough to wait for government action; every Gambian must take it upon themselves to maintain order, cleanliness, and accountability in their daily lives. Civic responsibility begins with the individual. From the smallest act of keeping one’s surroundings clean to the larger duty of obeying the law, patriotism must manifest not in slogans but in action.
Looking back at our history, each government Jawara’s, Jammeh’s, and Barrow’s has contributed uniquely to our national journey. Jawara gave us political stability and democratic endurance. Jammeh, despite his autocracy, expanded infrastructure roads, electricity, and agriculture and awakened a sense of national identity. Barrow, in turn, reopened the country to the world, reestablished international credibility, and reignited democratic pluralism. Each era, in its own right, carried both flaws and achievements. Yet what binds these epochs together is the indomitable spirit of the Gambian people their resilience, their capacity to forgive, and their unyielding faith in peace.
Today, as new leaders emerge and political alliances shift, we must not allow history to imprison us. The future demands innovation, unity, and forward-thinking leadership. We can no longer afford to waste precious time, energy, and resources revisiting old wounds when our youth cry out for jobs, our health system begs for reform, and our economy thirsts for transformation.
Unity remains our most powerful national resource. Without it, no development plan, no commission, no international aid can ever succeed. Our nation’s strength lies not in the divisions of party colors but in the shared identity of being Gambian. From Banjul to Basse, from Brikama to Bansang, from Farafenni to Kartong, we are one people bound by a common destiny. The politics of exclusion and vengeance must give way to the politics of inclusion and reconciliation.
Reconciliation does not mean forgetting. It means forgiving with wisdom. It means acknowledging past wrongs without allowing them to paralyze the present. It means holding leaders accountable without destroying the very foundation upon which national unity stands.
If we are to truly develop, we must cultivate a national ethos rooted in peace, stability, and discipline. Our leaders must rise above personal interests and partisan instincts to serve the broader cause of the nation. Our citizens, too, must rise from the comfort of complaint to the dignity of contribution. The discipline that built nations like Singapore, Rwanda, and Botswana can also build The Gambia if only we commit to it collectively.
The spirit of unity has already shown us what we can achieve when we work together. Through unity, The Gambia restored democracy in 2016 without a single bullet fired. Through unity, we continue to be a beacon of peace in a turbulent region. Through unity, we have produced world-class athletes, artists, diplomats, and scholars. Through unity, we have become a model of coexistence among Muslims and Christians, tribes and regions. These are not small achievements; they are the foundations upon which greater progress must be built.
But unity cannot thrive where mistrust reigns. We must dismantle the architecture of suspicion and build bridges of cooperation. We must teach our children not to inherit our divisions but to embrace their common destiny. Political leaders must remember that they are stewards of a nation, not masters of a faction. Civil servants must serve with integrity, knowing that their work is not for a party but for posterity.
As a people, let us therefore make a solemn vow: No more cycles of retribution. No more governance through commission and counter-commission. No more politics of destruction. Let us replace them with a politics of construction a politics that builds, unites, and uplifts.
Let every Gambian, young and old, male and female, rural and urban, stand as a custodian of peace, a guardian of discipline, and an agent of development. Let our institutions parliament, judiciary, civil service, and security forceswork hand in hand for the greater good. Let our religious and traditional leaders preach unity, not division. Let our youth see themselves not as victims of history but as architects of the future.
For indeed, the time has come for The Gambia to rise above politics and embrace purpose. The time has come to transform our commissions of inquiry into commissions of innovation. The time has come to cleanse our politics of hatred and our communities of indiscipline. The time has come to build not destroy, to unite not divide, to progress not regress.
Our ancestors fought for independence. Our generation must fight for excellence. And excellence can only emerge in a nation united by purpose, cleansed by discipline, and driven by vision.
Let this be the new Gambian dream a nation where justice is fair, where governance is accountable, where the environment is clean, where every citizen, regardless of tribe or party, feels at home. A Gambia that stands tall not because it looks backward in vengeance, but because it moves forward in unity, humility, and hope.
The Gambia belongs to all of us. And together, with peace as our foundation, discipline as our compass, and unity as our banner, there is no limit to what we can achieve.
