The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia performs at a mid-range level across all categories of the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) framework. The country’s democratic performance has rapidly improved since 2017. Over the past five years, The Gambia has experienced significant improvements in Credible Elections, Personal Integrity and Security, and Freedom of Expression. During that time, it has not suffered any significant declines. The Gambia is one of the world’s poorest countries, and its economy is primarily agricultural. It also relies on tourism and remittances.
The area around the Gambia River was ruled by several African kingdoms in the pre-colonial era, including the Malinke and Wolof. European powers gradually took control of the area in the 19th century, and the current borders of The Gambia were established by Anglo-French Convention of 1889. The Gambia gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1965 under the leadership of Sir Dawda Jawara. The People’s Progressive Party (led by Jawara) dominated electoral politics in The Gambia until 1994, when Yahya Jammeh took power in a coup d’etat.
Jammeh’s brutal rule continued until 2017, when he was forced to accept the electoral victory of Adama Barrow. Jammeh’s regime infamously maintained power through repression, violations of human rights, and control over the government and media. One of the current challenges for democratic consolidation is providing redress for the victims of Jammeh’s regime and improving the country’s rule of law more broadly. In 2021 the final report of the Gambian Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission encouraged the prosecution of former Jammeh officials, a process for which there is strong support among Gambians. The government accepted almost all the Commission’s recommendations in May 2022. Since then, Germany instigated a universal jurisdiction case against Bai L – an alleged paramilitary member accused of crimes against humanity. In 2024, a Swiss court sentenced a former interior minister to 20 years’ imprisonment for crimes against humanity.
The Gambia does not have a history of ethnic or religious conflict (despite its high ethnolinguistic diversity), but there have recently been concerns of increasing ‘tribalism’ in political discourse and connections to ethnicity in party politics. As Gambia has considered a new constitution in recent years, the possibility of a commitment to secularism has also been controversial. Another point of unrest has been land conflicts, which are worsened by the lack of governmental measures to regulate land ownership.
Progress on gender equality has been mixed. Two of the Supreme Court’s five judges and the President of the Court of Appeal are female. However, men significantly outnumber women in literacy. The context is further marked by higher unemployment rates for women, early marriage, the prevalence of gender-based violence, and low rates of women in high-level government positions. The practice of female genital cutting is a pressing political question; the practice is widespread in the country despite a 2015 ban.
The Gambia’s democratic and human rights performance has improved since 2017. The change is partially illustrated by its adoption of the Access to Information Bill, which legally protects the media. Going forward, it will be important to watch how the government acts on the recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission, which could impact Political Equality. Another concern is the effect of climate change, particularly coastal erosion and extreme weather events such as heavy rainstorms. The Gambia’s reliance on agriculture leaves its economy vulnerable to weather-related disruptions. Corruption is also a barriers the country’s development and debt service. Gambians increasingly perceive the state to be showing favouritism toward some ethnic groups and the political salience of ethnicity and religion should be watched. Importantly, the lack of regulations for land ownership risks future escalations in land disputes.
(Last updated August 2024)
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
July 2025
Draft constitution rejected at second reading
On 7 July, Gambia’s National Assembly rejected the Constitution (Promulgation) Bill 2024 during its second reading, marking the second failed attempt in five years to replace the 1997 Constitution enacted under former President Yahya Jammeh. The draft was first tabled for reading in the Assembly on 23 December 2024, following its gazetting in August, but its second reading—initially scheduled for March 2025—was postponed until July. The bill, which required a three-quarters majority to proceed, garnered only 35 votes in favour and 21 against. Although the draft proposed presidential term limits and institutional reforms, it faced strong opposition from lawmakers and legal experts over provisions that weakened checks and balances and excluded key political and civil society stakeholders from the drafting process. The failure to pass the bill means the 1997 Constitution remains in force, preserving existing concerns around executive dominance. In response, the government pledged to continue pursuing constitutional reforms.
Sources: Constitution Net, Vanguard, Barron’s, Africa Confidential, African Press Agency News
December 2024
ECOWAS approves hybrid court to prosecute Jammeh-era crimes
On 15 December, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) approved the establishment of a Special Tribunal for The Gambia to prosecute crimes committed under former President Yahya Jammeh’s rule (1994–2017). Legal experts note that ECOWAS approval was crucial as several West African nations lost citizens under Jammeh’s regime, strengthening diplomatic pressure on Equatorial Guinea, where Jammeh has been in exile since 2021, to comply with extradition requests. Under the hybrid system, the tribunal will try international crimes, including crimes against humanity and torture, regardless of their status under Gambian law at the time. Based in The Gambia, it may hold trials elsewhere if needed for practical or security reasons. ECOWAS leaders stressed swift implementation, but key steps—including appointing a special prosecutor and securing funding—remain unresolved.
Sources: X, International Commission of Jurists, The Standard, The Associated Press, The Africa Report
September 2024
Journalists detained over reporting on presidential exit plan
On 26 September, police arrested Musa Sekou Sheriff and Momodou Justice Darboe, two journalists from The Voice newspaper, after they reported on President Adama Barrow’s alleged exit plan and chosen successor, ahead of the 2026 elections. They were charged under Section 181A of the Criminal Code for false publication and broadcasting and required to report to the police daily. In addition to these criminal charges, President Barrow brought a civil defamation lawsuit against The Voice, with his lawyers describing the newspaper report as “defamatory” and “completely outrageous and untrue.” The Gambia Press Union condemned the arrests, calling for all charges to be dropped.
Update: On 4 November, The Office of the President announced that President Barrow had agreed to withdraw his civil defamation lawsuit against The Voice newspaper. According to Committee to Protect Journalists, the criminal charges against Musa Sekou Sheriff and Momodou Justice Darboe are expected to be dropped before the next hearing of their case, on 10 December.
Sources: The Voice, Committee to Protect Journalists (1), Article19, The Africa Report, Gambiana, State House of The Gambia, Committee to Protect Journalists (2), West Africa Democracy Radio
March 2024
Parliament considers reversing ban on female genital mutilation
The Gambian National Assembly voted on 19 March to reverse a ban on female genital mutilation that has been in force since 2015. The Women’s (Amendment) Bill has now passed its second reading and has been referred to a committee for three months of consultations. Opposition to the ban on FGM has grown in the last year since the first convictions and fines for practicing FGM were handed down by a court in the country. At present, almost three quarters of women in the Gambia have been subjected to the practice. If the reversal of the ban on FGM is eventually passed by the parliament, Gambia would become the first country in the world to reverse a ban on the practice.
Update: On 15 July 2024, The Gambian National Assembly rejected the Women’s Amendment Bill. None of the bill’s clauses were passed and it did not proceed to a third reading.
Sources: The Point, The Guardian, Reuters, The Gambian National Assembly
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