Darboe Rallies Support in Allunhari, URR; Urges Unity Ahead of December Presidential Election

By Seedy Jobe

Ousainu Darboe, leader of the United Democratic Party, thanked supporters in the Upper River Region on Saturday after thousands gathered in Allunhari for a rally organized by the UDP-led alliance and its partners in the Gambia First Coalition ahead of the Dec. 5 presidential election.

The gathering, held on Sept. 12, brought together leaders and supporters of the alliance as it seeks to consolidate opposition support and challenge President Adama Barrow in the election.

Addressing the crowd, Mr. Darboe rejected suggestions that the Upper River Region was hostile territory for the opposition, saying the turnout demonstrated the UDP’s longstanding presence and support in the region.

He thanked residents for what he described as their years of commitment to the party, saying their support had helped sustain and strengthen the UDP in the region.

Mr. Darboe also used his remarks to reject claims that the UDP is dominated by Mandinkas, pointing to the role that members of the Sarahule community have played in the party’s development in the Upper River Region.

He cited several longtime party figures from the community, including Alagie Gitteh Sankareh, and said Sarahule elders were among those who helped establish and sustain the UDP in the region.

Mr. Darboe said those early supporters, many of whom were respected community elders, helped build a foundation for the party that remained strong decades later.

He urged current supporters to continue organizing and mobilizing, saying longtime members could still play an important role even as some have grown older.

Mr. Darboe singled out Alagie Mba Sillah, telling him that age should not prevent him from continuing to contribute to the party. He said veteran supporters could use their standing and influence in their communities to encourage others to participate.

The UDP leader also paid tribute to two supporters who died in a road accident while traveling in connection with the gathering. He described them as heroes and said their deaths had placed a responsibility on party members to continue their political work in their memory.

“These individuals have left us with a mission we must fulfill in their honor,” Mr. Darboe said. “We cannot let them down. They have sacrificed for this country, and we must make them proud.”

He also offered prayers for supporters injured in the accident who were receiving treatment at Basse District Hospital.

Mr. Darboe concluded by urging supporters to remain united and reject ethnic divisions in politics. He said The Gambia belonged equally to all its ethnic communities and that no group should regard itself as superior to another.

He also called on supporters to reject what he described as politics based on deception and to focus instead on maintaining unity as the alliance prepares for the presidential election.