Former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh has warned against tribalism and regional divisions, urging Gambians to put aside ethnic differences and unite behind a common national vision centred on peace, equality and socioeconomic development.
In a recorded message played at a rally organised by the No to Alliance Movement at the Buffer Zone, Mr Jammeh stressed that his political movement was not built around any particular ethnic group but was intended to serve all Gambians committed to national progress.
“My party has never been a party for a tribe. My party is a party for all citizens of this country that love development, rapid socioeconomic development, equality, and total eradication of poverty, backwardness, and insecurity,” he said.
The former president maintained that ethnic identity should not determine citizens’ access to opportunities or their place in national affairs. He warned, in effect, that politics driven by tribal loyalties risks undermining the unity and stability required for sustainable development.
Mr Jammeh also called for collective efforts to protect The Gambia’s independence and ensure that the country’s natural resources are used for the benefit of its people. He argued that national progress should be measured by improvements in citizens’ living standards rather than by divisions that weaken the country’s social fabric.
Outlining his vision, Mr Jammeh said The Gambia should seek international recognition not through military strength, but through peace, freedom, humanity and economic prosperity. He urged citizens to work together towards eliminating hunger, poverty and insecurity, presenting these as national challenges that require a united response.
His message comes amid continuing political debate over ethnic identity, regional representation and the role of alliances in Gambian politics ahead of the December 5, 2026, presidential election. His remarks place national unity at the centre of the political conversation, although the practical steps needed to translate such appeals into lasting political and social cohesion remain a broader challenge for the country.
Mr Jammeh has lived in exile in Equatorial Guinea since January 2017, following his defeat in the December 2016 presidential election. Although he initially accepted the election results, he later rejected them, plunging the country into a political crisis that prompted intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The regional bloc deployed troops to The Gambia under the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG) to help secure the transition of power after Mr Jammeh refused to leave office. He eventually departed the country in January 2017.
Nearly a decade after leaving office, Mr Jammeh continues to retain support among sections of his former political base. His recorded intervention at the rally underscores his continued engagement with Gambian political discourse from exile, even as questions surrounding his political future and the legacy of his rule remain part of the national debate.
