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Gambia
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National
Anthem
Some Gambian voices outside The Gambia tend to be more political, more militant and less tolerant of religious and racial differences. Their language is of colonialism, racial and religious hatred. Maybe isolation from their culture makes then stridently nationalistic and idealistic, unprepared to see the good in anything. This is not the attitude of any Gambains we have met in the Gambia.
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The Gambia is a small (4,000 square miles or 11,295 sq. km) country in West Africa. It is surrounded by Senegal on all sides, except on the Atlantic coast, and for this reason the two countries have a lot of ethnic and cultural ties. In contrast to Senegal, a former French colony, The Gambia was colonized by Britain and gained it's Independence on February 18, 1965. From Independence in 1965 to April, 1970 the country had a parliamentary democracy with a Prime Minister, and the Queen of England as the Head of State. The country became a Republic in April 1970, with an Executive President as the Head of State, and the Parliament as the Legislative body. In contrast to a number of African countries, The Gambia retained a democratic tradition, holding universal adult suffrage elections every 5 years. These elections were contested by a number of parties, again in contrast to the single-party 'democratic' systems that were popular in a variety of African countries. The election system was slightly modified in 1982, with a change to the direct election of the President, rather than indirectly by the Members of Parliament. The democratic tradition of The Gambia was briefly interrupted in July, 1981 with an abortive attempt to overthrow the government by the then paramilitary Field Force. This attempt was crushed by Senegalese troops, who intervened on the pretext that the coup attempt was foreign inspired, and a threat to the welfare of the Senegalese community in The Gambia. President Jawara was thus restored to power, and in the aftermath of the events, entered into a Confederation called Senegambia with Senegal. This confederation however, was to be dissolved in September, 1989 following irreconcilable differences between the parties. A major milestone in The Gambia's political history was the overthrow of the Jawara government in July, 1994, by young, and junior officers of the Gambian military which had been built up by Jawara himself. The military officers, under the leadership of Lieutenant Yaya Jammeh (later Captain and then Colonel), alleged rampant corruption and incompetence as the main reason for overthrowing the Jawara government. The military takeover was roundly condemned by the International community, most especially because Jawara had in the almost 30 years of his rule managed to establish an international reputation for adherence to democratic rule and human rights. Following intense pressure from both within The Gambia, and without, the military-led government announced a timetable for transferring power to civilians in 1996, following a review of the constitution, probes into the wealth of public servants, and elections. A referendum was held on the 8th of August, 1996 and over 70 percent of those who voted endorsed the ratification of the Draft Constitution as the fundamental law of the Second Republic. On 26 September the presidential election was held after a ban on political parties was lifted. A decree was passed which disqualified former President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, the former Vice-President and all former ministers of the People's Progressive Party (PPP) from contesting any political office. The other main political parties in the Gambia before the coup, the National Convention Party (NCP), and the Gambia People's Party (GPP), were also banned from participating in the election. Four parties contested the Presidential elections. Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) led by Mr. Yahya Jammeh who resigned from the military to run in the elections, United Democratic Party (UDP) led by Barrister Ousainou Darboe, Peopels Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) led by Mr. Sidia Jatta and National Reconciliation Party (NRP) led by Mr. Hamat Bah. Jammeh won 56% of the votes and thereby became the first President of the Second Republic. National Assembly Elections were held on the 2nd of January, 1997 and the APRC won 33 seats out of 45. UDP won 7 seats, NRP 2 seats, and PDOIS 1 seat and there were 2 successful Independent Candidates. On the economic front, The Gambia has been primarily an agricultural country. An estimated 81% of the population is engaged in agriculture, while groundnuts (peanuts) account for about 85% of export earnings (Country Profile 1993/94: The Gambia, and Mauritania. The Economist Intelligence Unit. 1993). With a trade policy traditionally more liberal than it's neighbours, because of a smaller industrial base to protect, The Gambian economy has always had a brisk re-export sector. Tourism, has been a large component of the service sector, which has accounted for up to 60% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Despite it's size, The Gambia is relatively densely populated, with a predominantly Muslim population of slightly over 1 million (1993 census figures), and growing at an annual rate of approximately 3%. Major ethnic groups are Fula, Jola, Mandinka, Serahule, and Wollof. The illiteracy rates is very high (73%), and this generally reflects the low Human Development Index (HDI) scores the country has. Thus, for 1992 The Gambias' HDI ranked 173 out of 192 countries. Per capita income, estimated at $360 (US) in 1991 was also amongst the lowest in the world. Despite the economic poverty and political setbacks, The Gambia has always been active in the International arena, being a member of the United Nations, the Organization of African Unity, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The Gambia has also provided troops to regional peace-keeping efforts, most notably in Liberia, as well as being an active participant in mediation efforts. This strong tradition of peacefulness, and respect for human rights was the reason why the African Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies was created in 1989 by a bill of The Gambian parliament with the vision to "promote in co-operation with other African and international institutions, the observance of human and people's rights and democratic principles throughout Africa". It should however be noted that the ACDHRS is governed by an independent council of African jurists and other related experts. The African Commission on Human and People's Rights, an organisation set up under the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights by the OAU in 1986, is also headquartered in The Gambia. The Secretariat of this regional human rights institution is in the same building as the African Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies. Words
of The Gambian National Anthem Let
justice guide our actions towards We
pledge our firm allegiance, There is some debate over who wrote the words and music of The Gambian national anthem. The music is said to be based on the Gambian kora tune Foday Kabba Dumbuya as rendered by Jali Nyama Suso and it is said that the words were written by a colonial administrator who was serving in Brikama as Commissioner of the Western Division called Mr. Howe. Others say that the father of Marcel Thomasi, the former Director of Information designed the Gambian flag, and wrote the words to the anthem. Some criticise the anthem for using the word God, saying it christianises the anthem, while others point out that in Arabic God means Allah
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