By Makutu Manneh
Talib Ahmed Bensouda, leader of the UNITE Party and mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council, has called on Gambians to reject tribal and identity-based politics in favor of national unity, arguing that ethnic divisions continue to hinder the country’s development.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Atlanta, United States, Bensouda said that despite The Gambia’s small size, the country remains deeply divided along ethnic and tribal lines.
“As small as The Gambia is, it is more divided than big nations. Everybody is holding onto their identities, their tribal lineage,” he said.
Drawing a comparison with neighboring Senegal, Bensouda said many Senegalese identify themselves by their nationality first, whereas Gambians often identify themselves by their ethnic group before their national identity.
He argued that meaningful national development can only be achieved when citizens see themselves as one people. Bensouda further said that Africans should embrace a broader shared identity, noting that colonial-era borders were created by European powers rather than by Africans themselves.
“So if you are to look at Gambia as a project on how to uplift the lives of people living within those borders, think about Africa, the Black man, and humanity,” he said.
Bensouda criticized what he described as the persistent emphasis in Gambian politics on tribe, skin complexion, and family origins, saying such considerations should have no place in the country’s future.
He also explained that the acronym UNITE stands for Unite for Nation, Integrity, Transformation, and Equality, describing those principles as the foundation of the party’s political vision.
Looking ahead to the December 5 presidential election, Bensouda expressed confidence in his party’s electoral prospects. He said that although few people expected the UNITE Party to gain significant momentum when it was launched six months ago, it is now widely regarded as one of the country’s leading political parties.
Bensouda predicted that by September, the UNITE Party would become the largest political party in The Gambia and go on to win the December 5 presidential election.
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