Gambians hope to collectively overcome a deep-seated national trauma and move forward in a way that satiates the rising call to bring those responsible for past crimes to justice, while also dousing the flames of division that Jammeh had so frequently fanned with impunity.
Gambia Stands Up (Foreign Affairs – February 3)
Africans Prepare an Intervention for Democracy (Washington Post – January 12)
Gambia’s Opposition Unites: The Stakes of December’s Election (Foreign Affairs – November 25)
On December 1, Gambians will vote in their country’s most consequential election since it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1965. For the first time, a unified political coalition will challenge Yahya Jammeh, Gambia’s longtime dictator, only months after the most vigorous protest movement in the country’s recent history.
The U.S. and Nigeria’s Buhari on the Human Rights Hot Seat (The Hill – August 30)
The many nuances of the situation on the ground in Nigeria – a deteriorating economy, a seeming rise in violence, and a political witch hunt under the guise of anti-corruption – cannot be overstated. In simple terms, aid offered to Nigeria, from any U.S. executive branch agency, should only be provided with a mutual understanding that members of the Nigerian military who stand accused of gross violations of human rights be held accountable.
Nigeria’s Leader Has Exacerbated the Country’s Problems (Pittsburgh Post Gazette – July 26)
Washington’s Closest Ally on the Horn of Africa Has a Terrible Human Rights Record (Foreign Policy – July 11)
Dangerous Days in Zambia (Foreign Affairs – July 7)
Increasing Risk of State-Led Mass Killing in The Gambia (Early Warning Project – June 23)
Several factors indicate that the risk of state-led mass killing in The Gambia is increasing: a steady deterioration of the Gambian economy due to mismanagement and rampant corruption; the death and disappearances of several prominent opposition leaders; and a recent uptick of inflammatory rhetoric and political violence.
Buhari is Treading a Perilous Path in Nigeria (Sahara Reporters – June 20)
Gambia’s president is under pressure to step down. Is it time for a change? (Washington Post -- May 17)
Today, Jammeh faces a collection of challenges similar to those that ushered in his own regime 22 years ago: an increasingly vocal and inspired political opposition, popular protests demanding change, and armed forces with low morale (including reports that senior officers have refused recent orders). Jammeh also confronts rising international isolation, including the suspension of aid from major donors and the country’s dismissal from several U.S. aid programs, including the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
Gambian Protests put Jammeh’s Human Rights Record Into the International Spotlight (OkayAfrica – April 26)
In years past, these abuses committed against the Gambian people, and carried out with absolute impunity, have largely been met with silence. However, that scenario has gradually changed, with Gambia being thrust into the spotlight for several reasons, providing a much-needed complement to ongoing domestic and diaspora-driven advocacy efforts.