A little less than a million voters vote this Saturday, December 4, 2021 to choose a new president for The Gambia. The outgoing, Adama Barrow, and five other candidates are in the running for this election, the main stake of which is to consolidate democracy in this small country deeply marked by years of dictatorship. On this occasion, franceinfo Africa gives you five pieces of information to discover or better understand this small English-speaking country in West Africa.
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1A small landlocked country
The Gambia is one of the smallest states in Africa. With its particular shape, the country is totally enclosed in Senegal with an opening on the Atlantic. This former British colony, independent since 1965, has Banjul as its capital and has a population of 2.4 million, according to World Bank data. It is one of the most densely populated countries on the continent and one of the poorest. Poverty which is explained in particular by the lack of natural resources and an unequal distribution of wealth between urban and rural areas, according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The Gambia is at the bottom of the rankings for its Human Development Index.
2Dictatorship and corruption
The Gambia’s poverty could also be explained by years of poor governance. The public funds intended for the development of the country evaporated under the reign of Yahya Jammeh. The former dictator, who ruled the country with an iron fist for more than twenty years, has embezzled nearly a billion dollars, according to a report by the consortium of journalists Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. The “big robbery” of the former dictator did not stop until the end of his reign in 2017. Chance of the calendar, the same year the Gambia posted the highest rate of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, according to the Organization international for migration. They were fleeing poverty and repression.
3Democracy to the test
Despite a bleak picture of the situation, a change took place in 2016 with the presidential victory of Adama Barrow, candidate of an opposition coalition. Under pressure, the dictator finally gave in and went into exile in Equatorial Guinea. Hope is reborn in the country. A Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) is set up to investigate crimes committed under Yahya Jammeh’s regime. To the great surprise of the Gambians, the political party of the ex-dictator announced last September an alliance with the ruling party leaving doubt about the will to prosecute the former president for alleged human rights violations. But the Commission finally demanded at the end of November the prosecution of those mainly responsible for the crimes of the Jammeh era. The Gambians are waiting to see if justice will prevail. This is also the main issue of this election.
4A single voting system
Gambians vote with marbles. The system was put in place to make it easier for voters who can neither read nor write. The illiteracy rate of the population exceeds 50%. This system, unique in the world, also aims to prevent fraud. The principle is simple: the voter receives a ball, isolates himself behind a curtain and slides it into the container in the colors of the candidate of his choice. The introduction of the ball into the ballot box rings a bell, supposed to prevent a second fraudulent vote. This will probably be the last time Gambians vote like this. With the opening of the country, more candidates come forward, which makes the logistics more complicated.
5A tourist country
The Gambia is known for its beautiful beaches and historic sites which attract tens of thousands of tourists. The most famous is undoubtedly the site of James Island, on the Gambia River, which symbolizes the slave trade. The island which appears on the UNESCO World Heritage List now bears the name of the Gambian Kunta Kinteh who inspired the American novel Roots (Roots), adapted as a television series. The tourism sector is essential for The Gambia’s economy. The Covid-19 pandemic has naturally slowed down tourism, plunging the sector into a major crisis. But here too, the Gambians remain hopeful of a better tomorrow.