Halifa Sallah Says Team Gambia Will Apologize for Injustices Since Independence

By Seedy Jobe

Veteran politician Halifa Sallah has said Team Gambia Grand Coalition 2026 would formally apologize for injustices committed since The Gambia gained independence and take steps to address their lasting effects as part of an effort to give the country a new start.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Mr. Sallah said it would establish a committee on justice and human rights tasked with examining past violations and their lingering consequences, seeking redress for victims and developing safeguards against future abuses.

He said the coalition had listened to concerns raised by the Victims’ Center, including frustrations among victims who feel their experiences have become politicized.

Mr. Sallah called on the government, political parties and coalitions to engage directly with victims and understand the challenges they continue to face.

“Victims are the constituency of those who want to lead,” he said, arguing that they should neither be excluded from the political process nor exploited for political purposes.

He said the coalition had consulted groups willing to participate in its engagement process and pledged that their concerns would be reflected in its manifesto.

“One of the first things it will do is to apologize for every injustice that had ever been perpetrated since this country became independent,” Mr. Sallah said.

He said the coalition would also establish a committee on voter education and reconciliation aimed at helping Gambians understand the power of the ballot and the principle that all citizens are equal regardless of language, gender or age.

The goal, he said, is to promote what he described as exemplary citizenship by encouraging Gambians to recognize their sovereignty and entrust political power to leaders who will use it in the common interest.

Mr. Sallah said another committee would focus on planning and finance, including mobilizing resources for the coalition and developing proposals for how a future government would operate.

He added that the agreement signed by members of Team Gambia Grand Coalition 2026 would be made public, allowing citizens to scrutinize its commitments and ultimately judge whether the coalition had fulfilled them.

Mr. Sallah said a separate committee would oversee media affairs and could take responsibility for managing the coalition’s subsequent news conferences.

He described the media as a cornerstone of democratic society, saying access to information enables citizens to acquire knowledge, develop political consciousness and participate meaningfully in national life.

Another committee, he said, would examine economic and social affairs, including the management of national resources and strategic assets.

Mr. Sallah said the coalition intends to review concessions involving minerals, marine resources, ports and other sovereign assets, including Gamtel, with the aim of determining how national wealth can better serve the needs and aspirations of Gambians.

On social affairs, he said the coalition would seek to address frustration and alienation that can fuel conflict among Gambians.

He argued that changing those conditions would require strengthening social cohesion and fostering a culture of cooperation in which citizens recognize their dependence on one another.

Such change, he said, would require “a government that exists for the people, not a government where the people exist for its rulers.”

Mr. Sallah said Team Gambia Grand Coalition 2026 was continuing to consolidate its internal structures as it prepared for the next phase of its political activities.

He said the coalition hoped to complete the formation of its team before Aug. 30, after which it planned to intensify its public activities from Sept. 2 through Oct. 16.

From Oct. 17 to Oct. 30, he said, the coalition planned to begin the process of determining its flag bearer.

Mr. Sallah said the selection process would be conducted without “fanfare” or conflict over positions and would instead focus on building a cohesive team capable of pursuing the coalition’s agenda.

He said coalition members would reflect on The Gambia’s journey since independence in 1965 and ask themselves whether they could improve upon the leadership that had previously guided the country.

The decision on a flag bearer, he said, would ultimately be guided by members’ judgment, conscience and determination to select someone they believe capable of advancing change.

Mr. Sallah said the broader objective of Team Gambia Grand Coalition 2026 is to create a more level political playing field, strengthen the values of sovereign citizenship and offer The Gambia what he described as “a new start.”