Darboe Accuses NPP of Fueling Ethnic Divisions, Urges Politicians to Promote National Unity

By Makutu Manneh

ANM Ousainu Darboe, leader of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), has accused the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) of promoting ethnic divisions, criticizing President Adama Barrow for what he described as a failure to confront inflammatory rhetoric by members of his political camp.

Speaking in an interview with West Coast Radio, Mr. Darboe said political leaders had a responsibility to foster national unity rather than exploit ethnic differences for electoral advantage.

He singled out President Barrow for remaining silent after remarks by Hamat Bah, a government minister, and a National Assembly member that he described as divisive and politically motivated.

According to Mr. Darboe, the president should have promptly condemned the statements to prevent tensions from escalating.

“They are trying to portray Mandinkas negatively in the eyes of other tribes,” Mr. Darboe said. “Politicians should be like needles that stitch people together, not blades that divide them.”

Mr. Darboe acknowledged reports that President Barrow had recently condemned ethnic rhetoric but dismissed the intervention as belated, arguing that the president acted only after religious leaders and other prominent Gambians publicly denounced the remarks.

He warned that such statements could have serious consequences for national cohesion, although he expressed confidence that Gambian voters would reject attempts to mobilize political support along ethnic lines.

Reflecting on his school years and legal career, Mr. Darboe recalled friendships with Christians and people from various ethnic backgrounds, saying those relationships were rooted in a shared Gambian identity rather than religious or ethnic affiliations.

He lamented what he described as the country’s growing political polarization, insisting that no single ethnic group could claim ownership of The Gambia.

He said there was no Mandinka Gambia, Wolof Gambia, Fula Gambia, or Sarahule Gambia, but one nation whose identity depended on the contributions of all its communities.

Mr. Darboe also cited an earlier statement by President Barrow during a meeting with Mandinka elders in the Lower River Region, in which the president reportedly complained about losing at polling stations in Mandinka communities.

The UDP leader characterized those remarks as further evidence of what he considers the ruling party’s tendency to frame political support in ethnic terms.

He urged political leaders, regardless of party affiliation or ethnic background, to demonstrate their commitment to national unity through their conduct rather than merely through public declarations.

“So it is our duty, irrespective of where we come from, irrespective of our political affiliation, to preach, not only to preach but also to be seen to be doing what we are preaching, that we should not be polarizing this country,” he said.

Mr. Darboe also acknowledged that politicians across the political spectrum bore responsibility for the country’s increasingly divisive political discourse.

“And we, the politicians, are doing a great deal of polarizing in this country,” he said. “And we do them, and then we apologize after the damage has already been done.”

His remarks underscored growing concerns about the role of ethnic identity in Gambian politics as the country approaches its December presidential election, with Mr. Darboe warning that political competition should not come at the expense of national unity.