Saturday, July 26, 2025
30.2 C
City of Banjul
More

    GAMBIA: UDP is Alarmed over Government’s Suspicious ID Card Deployment to Mauritania

    Share

    The United Democratic Party (UDP) has observed with deep concern the Gambia Immigration Department’s (GID) recent announcement regarding the deployment of a mobile National ID card registration team to Mauritania While the government claims this initiative is meant to “protect Gambians abroad,” the UDP finds this explanation dubious, given the Barrow KERENG KAFFOO administration’s longstanding refusal to implement diaspora voting under the pretext of logistical and financial constraints.

    The Barrow NPP KERENG KAFFOO government has repeatedly denied Gambians in the diaspora the right to vote, citing:

    • Lack of resources (claiming the Independent Electoral Commission lacks capacity and funding).
    • Constituency-based registration (arguing diaspora Gambians cannot be linked to a constituency).
    • Financial constraints (insisting the budget does not allow for diaspora voting).

    Yet, suddenly, the same government can mobilize a high-level delegation, including immigration officers, State Intelligence Services (SIS) agents, and Foreign Ministry officials, to Mauritania to issue National Identity Cards instead of consular IDs or emergency travel documents that could be issued by The Gambia Embassy in Mauritania. If the government can afford this expensive foreign mission, why can’t it first ensure that all Gambians inside The Gambia have proper IDs to eliminate the need for fraudulent attestations?

    The real agenda seems to be voter manipulation ahead of 2026. This move is not about protecting Gambians abroad. It is a calculated scheme to register non-Gambians (particularly in border regions like Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania) as “Gambian voters.” They will thus be easily transported during elections to swing votes in favour of President Barrow, just as was done in 2021 using attestations.

    This is a scheme to expand the fraudulent attestation system internationally, bypassing scrutiny. Why Mauritania First? Mauritania has a significant Gambian migrant population, including many without clear documentation, and the government is testing this model before expanding to Senegal and other neighbouring countries.

    National ID cards are for citizens inside The Gambia, not abroad. The Gambia already has mechanisms to assist citizens abroad:

    • Consular Ids (issued by embassies) for identification.
    • Emergency passports for travel (issued by embassies and counsellor offices).
    • Birth certificates (after the Ministry of Health’s nationwide campaign for the new birth certificates).

    So why issue NATIONAL IDs outside The Gambia? Because national IDs are directly linked to voter registration. This is a backdoor attempt to inflate the voter register ahead of 2026.

    UDP demands immediate transparency and accountability and calls for:

    1. The National Assembly to summon the Minister of Interior and GID Director to explain:
    • The legal basis for issuing national IDs abroad.
    • The criteria used to verify “Gambian citizenship” in Mauritania.
    • The total cost of this operation and its funding source.
    1. Civil society and the media investigate this scheme.
    2. The international community (ECOWAS, AU, UN) to monitor potential electoral manipulation that could lead to conflict.

    This is a dangerous precedent for electoral fraud, and the UDP warns all Gambians to remain vigilant against this government’s attempts to undermine democracy. If Barrow truly cared about Gambians abroad, he would have implemented diaspora voting, not a shady ID issuance scheme that reeks of electoral fraud.

    We will not allow this government to rig another election.

    UDP MEDIA TEAM

    Read more

    Local News