gambia
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In The Gambia, elections still carry a distinctive sound: the clink of a marble dropped into a metal drum. To many outsiders, it is a charming political artifact — proof that democracy can wear local clothing and still work. To many Gambians, it is something else: a reminder that the country’s most important civic ritual
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As The Gambia approaches its 2026 presidential election, the country finds itself at a critical juncture in its post-authoritarian political trajectory. Nearly a decade after the peaceful removal of long-time ruler Yahya Jammeh, the election is less about the novelty of democratic change and more about whether democratic norms have become sufficiently institutionalized to endure
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By any measure, The Gambia’s transition in 2017 was a moment of relief. After two decades of authoritarian rule, the peaceful exit of Yahya Jammeh and the inauguration of Adama Barrow signaled hope for democracy, reform, and the restoration of sovereignty. Nearly a decade later, however, a different concern has taken root – one less
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The Gambia’s dramatic political transition in 2016 was more than a change of government; it was a collective sigh of relief from a nation that had held its breath for 22 years. It was a promise. A promise of a new dawn, of accountability, and of a democracy that would truly serve its people. Yet,
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Banjul, The Gambia — The sun still sets beautifully over the Atlantic, painting the beaches in gold and crimson. Tourists sip cocktails in oceanfront resorts. But beyond the hotel gates, a dangerous transformation is underway. The Gambia, long celebrated as West Africa’s “Smiling Coast” and a bastion of stability, is being strangled by a surge in
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In December 2016, Gambians everywhere celebrated the end of dictator Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year rule, a victory significantly fueled by diasporic activism, funding, and digital mobilization. Today, that same diaspora feels betrayed. In March 2025, Gambia’s National Assembly rejected a clause granting voting rights to citizens abroad, dismissing their constitutional claims and immense contributions. This decision
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The sunbaked streets of Banjul felt worlds away from my desk when news broke last March that Gambia’s parliament had voted overwhelmingly to repeal its ban on female genital mutilation (FGM). Forty-two legislators, nearly all men, raised their hands to reverse a decade-old prohibition protecting girls from a practice endured by 73% of Gambian women
The Civic Scribe: Articles & Poems 