History of The Gambia
Portuguese explorers first discovered The Gambia, a small country on the west coast of Africa, in the mid 15th century. What they found was a cluster of small kingdoms that were vassal states of the Mali Empire. This empire stretched across vast swathes of land of much of what is now known to be West Africa. Even though the central government of the Mali Empire was distant from its tributaries, authority was nevertheless devolved to respective regions of the empire. There was decentralization with each kingdom well represented in the general administration of the empire. The small states also acted as sources of revenue for the empire through taxation.

But the Portuguese, interested mainly in exploration along the Gambian coast, didn't stake out too much claim on The Gambia. They handed trading rights to the British in 1588. Soon British trading merchants arrived and founded settlements along the Gambia River. In 1816, they purchased Saint Mary's Island from a local chief and established Banjul, then known as Bathurst. This city was important early on especially for its use as a buffer against the slave trade.

The Gambia was under colonial rule from Sierra Leone until 1843, when it became a separate colony. It was once again returned to colonial rule from Sierra Leone between 1866 and 1888. In the following year, the Gambian boundaries were clearly defined, and six years later, the interior was declared a British protectorate. First, it was the coastal area of Bathurst and then came the hinterland. The British administered The Gambia by dribs and drabs, piece by piece until 1902 when they extended their hegemony over the entire land.

The subsequent years were also illustrious in The Gambia's colonial epoch. In 1906 slavery in the colony was banned, and a British system of 'Indirect Rule' (ruling the people through their traditional chiefs) was now in full throttle. However, following the Second World War, Gambians began to agitate for a greater measure of local autonomy. The war had opened their eyes to the western ideals of self-rule and individual liberty. Returning Gambian soldiers who had fought gallantly in the war had hoped that compensation from their colonial patrons on whose behalf they had laid their lives, had not only to be monetary but political as well. Political emancipation from colonial rule had now entered the colonial lexicon.

By the mid 1950s, Gambians were being prepared for administrative positions in the colonial government. This gradually began to form an educated class to take over the reigns of government later. A legislative council had been created, representatives elected by the people. In 1962, The Gambia had its first prime minister in the person of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, a Scotland-educated and trained veterinarian. In 1963, The Gambia achieved self-rule. Two years later, it became a full-fledged independent state, joining other African countries, which had by then or even earlier, also wrested power from their colonial rulers. After the 1970 referendum, The Gambia became a republic in the Commonwealth of Nations.

Early Democratic Character
Right from the beginning, democracy in The Gambia took root. In the run up to independence, various political parties and trade unions emerged representing different interests in society. Jawara's People's Progressive Party rose out of the protectorate areas. In fact it was then called the Protectorate People's Party because the party was meant to be a party for the hinterland areas, an idea that was in essence given the fact that the colony of Bathurst and its satellite areas had dominated and more, monopolized the political system under colonial rule. The people in the rural areas had felt left out.
The United Party under Pierre Njie also was a phenomenal presence on the political scene, in fact, a more broad-based, popular party than the PPP had ever been. But gradually the PPP soared in popularity and influence especially among the rural folk. They established dominance in the hinterland and soon spread out in the colony areas.

There were also other parties, although smaller and less organized than both the PPP and the UP. But it demonstrated that early on, as colonial rule was being supplanted by self-rule, multi-party democracy was breaking the mound in The Gambia. In stark contrast to many other African states, also newly independent, The Gambia was poised to institutionalize multiparty democracy and instill democratic discipline in the minds of its people.

Since independence, successive elections have been held every five years in The Gambia. At times, some of these elections were marred by violence and intimidation, but the intensity and interest with which they were contested underscored the extent to which Gambians took delight in the idea of participatory democracy. At independence in 1965, Gambians were already keen to dabble at multiparty democracy.

Democracy Hits A Snag
However, in 1981 Gambian democracy received its biggest blow yet when a ragtag of police officers and unruly civilians attempted to seize power from the PPP under Jawara. The leader of the rebellion Kukoi Samba Sanyang, a failed politician who had contested and lost heavily in previous elections, staged a putsch to gain presidential power, a feat he couldn't do through the ballot box. Hundreds were killed and property and infrastructure pillaged during the disturbances of the 1981 rebellion. The president, who had been on a visit to the United Kingdom, cut short his trip and flew to neighboring Senegal seeking assistance.

The Senegalese troops crossed into The Gambia to quell the rebellion. In the melee, they lost several men, and a lot more carnage took place before normalcy returned and Jawara returned to the presidency. This event, heinous as it was, has been The Gambia's darkest historical moment since independence. Before then, The Gambia was an oasis of peace in the West African sub-region. But now chaos had reigned, senseless bloodletting a curse on the peace and tranquility the country had enjoyed years since its independence. It took The Gambia the next 13 years to rebuild its peace and harmony within society.

But in 1994, The Gambia was yet again jolted by another political crisis, this time a group of young army officers seized power, establishing a military dictatorship, outlawing political participation and crushing dissent. The military accused the government of corruption and inefficiency. The previous government had stayed in power close to three decades. Lethargy in governance had set in; indifference, too. The people were left despondent over the perpetuity in power of a single president and party. They demanded change.

Multiparty elections have returned. In the 1996 elections, the military government put up a candidate in Yahya Jammeh, who won a landslide victory. He won again in 2001. The Gambia has been under the administration of a military-turned civilian government.

By Cherno Baba Jallow

 

National Anthem

For the Gambia, our homeland, We strive and work and pray, That all may live in unity, Freedom and peace each day, Let Justice guide our actions Towards the common good, And join our diverse peoples To prove man's brotherhood. We pledge our firm Allegiance, Our promise we renew, Keep us, great God of Nations, To the Gambia ever true.

People of the Gambia

The people of the Gambia are sure among the friendliest in the world. Their smiling faces is the least evident fact of their friendly nature. Languages spoken are Fula, Wollof, Mandinka, Jola, Sarahule, Manjago, Serere, Aku, Karaninka, and more. English is the official language.

2020 Vision

Mission Statement of the 2020 Vision

To transform The Gambia into a financial center, a tourist paradise, a trading, export-oriented agricultural and manufacturing nation, thriving on free market policies and a vibrant private sector, sustained by a well-educated, trained, skilled, healthy, self-reliant and enterprising population, and guaranteeing a well-balanced eco-system and a decent standard of living for one and all, under a system of government based on the consent of the citizenry.