By Abdoulie John
In a wide-ranging statement made in Kanilai and broadcasted on GRTS television, President
Yahya Jammeh has expressed his opposition to tribalism, one of the most threatening elements to stability and democracy. “I am not a tribalist and I don’t believe in tribalism,” he said. Jammeh made this remark during the first ever governmental retreat, held in his native Kanilai, last week. Vowing not to clamp down on all sorts of tribalism, Jammeh also acknowledged the fact that “certain institutions are predominantly dominated by a particular tribe.” “I believe in the fact that tribe is just a cultural variation. The Almighty Allah has only one tribe and that is the human race. So, the issue of tribalism is superficial and therefore will not be entertained in my government.” While welcoming the president’s statement as a good move in the right direction, some critics are saying that the right approach should have been to pass legislations against a phenomenon that is now rooted in modern Gambia. According to them, if nothing is done to reverse the trends, there is high risk to see political antagonisms turned into tribal/ethnic antagonisms. Africa has already experienced dramatic situations caused by tribal strife. This is certainly an opportunity for Gambians all over the world to participate in the debate and help to open optimistic perspectives for our democracy.
