Gambian politics? Jawara, Jammeh, Barrow

I’m probably never going to be an expert in Gambian history or politics. Right now I’m far too busy living in the moment, enjoying my time here with family and new friends, and by just being outside a lot. My current job isn’t related to The Gambia at all, so that doesn’t help with finding out who is who in politics or what’s going on with the upcoming elections.

On a very basic level, this is what I figured out so far: The Gambia is a young democracy. Its first leader after the end of colonialism was Dawda Jawara (president from independence from the UK in 1964 until 1994). He created stability and seemed like an approachable fellow. If you played golf in those days, you probably played with Jawara or his wife at some point. From what I gather, the Traditionalist generation thinks of these days fondly.

Next came Yahya Jammeh, who was a whole different cup of tea. He basically ruled as a dictator until 2017. Corruption was widespread, the courts later determined, and he was banished to Guinea. Still, plenty of Baby Boomers wouldn’t mind if he returned to power because he was a strong leader who put people and education first. He recently announced he would in fact be making his return to The Gambia soon. Nobody knows if this is true.

Now Adama Barrow is in power. His main claim to fame is a successful democratic transition and dealing with human rights issues from the Jammeh days through the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Council. Many Gambians wonder if Barrow will leave office after the end of his second term, per the constitution, and what happens to his legacy if he doesn’t.

So that’s Gambian political history in a nutshell.

In general, Gambian politics don’t get much attention. I find it more interesting to observe the role of foreign powers like the UN, EU, US, China and Turkey in the socio-economic development of the country; the omnipresence of the Indian and Lebanese (and North European) diaspora in the business world, the debate around emigration, and the traditional/cultural versus modern belief systems. So more about all that later!