When I was growing up, tribal teasing was harmless. We joked without malice. Our tribal differences were acknowledged but never weaponised. That ended when Yahya Jammeh came to power.
Jammeh deliberately turned tribal identity into a political weapon, using it to secure his grip on power. He made tribal affiliation visible, politicised, and dangerous. People who had never strongly identified with their tribe were forced into camps. Tribalism became a cornerstone of his governance.
Then came President Barrow. Instead of dismantling this toxic legacy, he deepened it. The moment he formed an alliance with the APRC, the very party that nurtured Jammeh’s tribal politics, we saw a rapid rise in what I call State Tribalism. This wasn’t just tribalism on the streets or in whispers, it was institutionalized at the highest levels of Government.
We’ve seen tribes being selectively invited to the State House. We’ve witnessed both the President, his ministers, and his special advisers openly using tribal rhetoric during election campaigns. This is not accidental, it is a deliberate political strategy to divide and dominate.
And now, as the 2026 elections approach, the same dangerous game is in motion. The tribal rhetoric is rising, financed, organised, and amplified by the State’s own machinery, dressed up in the false language of “peace and stability.” We saw it in the last elections and too many refused to recognise it as a weapon. That silence gave them a licence to do it again.
They know exactly what they are doing. Tribal division distracts from corruption, hides incompetence, and blinds the people to the real issues. It is their most effective path to retaining power, and they wield it without shame or restraint.
One thing we can all agree on, no tribe is exempt from the harsh realities of life in The Gambia today. Poverty, unemployment, poor healthcare, and corruption do not discriminate.
No particular tribe is thriving, only those close to Barrow and his inner circle are spared. This is not about tribe, it’s about proximity to power. And that is exactly why weaponising tribal identity is both dangerous and dishonest.
I’ve said it before, and I will keep saying it, When a State institutionalises tribalism, it becomes lethal. In a country like The Gambia, where poverty is deep and hope is scarce, tribal division is a powder keg. It breeds resentment, tears apart the fabric of our unity, and turns Gambian against Gambian, all while those in power feed off the chaos.
We must call this what it is, a calculated threat to national cohesion and democratic survival by the State. And we must resist it, loudly, persistently, and together.
The Gambia is bigger than any tribe, any political party, and certainly bigger than the selfish ambitions of leaders who survive only by dividing us. If we fail to confront this now, the seeds of hatred they are planting will outlive them, outlive us, and destroy the very idea of a united Gambia.
By Ndey Jobarteh
