Opposition Leader: Gambia’s Commonwealth Withdrawal Reckless

UDP standard bearer Ousainou Darboe (source AFP)

 

The leader of Gambia’s main opposition United Democratic Party, UDP, says Gambia’s withdrawal from the commonwealth was the most reckless foreign policy decision made by President Yahya Jammeh’s government. 

 The West African’s country’s controversial leader has again shocked the world when on Friday Oct.4 he announced Gambia’s withdrawal from the commonwealth.   

 President Jammeh’s government describes the grouping of Britain and her former colonies as a neo-colonial institution but fails short to provide details.

 Mr Ousainou Darboe of the opposition UDP was away in the United States at the time of the pull out. Soon after his arrival, he told journalists that the government’s decision was influenced by President Jammeh’s lack of stomach for peer scrutiny - a deep-seated tradition within the commonwealth.

 “It is not because that [commonwealth] institution is neo colonialist that’s why he’s withdrawing. President Jammeh doesn’t want peer review. Under commonwealth, you’ll be under constant scrutiny by your peers in relation to rule of law, good governance and fight against corruption.

 “But [also] of recent concern by the commonwealth is the issue of human rights commission. Proposal has been made and studies conducted for establishment of human rights commission but this country is not interested in human rights commission. That’s why they are withdrawing.”

 Mr Darboe urges President Jammeh to reverse his decision in the interest of the country and her citizens who have in various ways – scholarship, technical and financial - continued to benefit from the commonwealth.

 “I am a beneficiary of a commonwealth scholarship,” he says, “And so are tens of Gambians. The commonwealth has helped improve our justice system by sending in judges to clear the backlog of cases at the courts.”

Mr Darboe’s calls are however, unlikely to be heeded. On Monday 7 Oct., after President Jammeh’s meeting with an envoy of the Nigerian president, his government issued another news statement warning African leaders against ‘wasting their tax payers money’ by sending envoys on the matter, as his decision was final.  

 

Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa, joined the commonwealth in 1965 – the same year it attained independence from Britain. Its withdrawal came at a time when two other African countries – Rwanda and Gabon – are vying for membership.

 

“I do not if the commonwealth as a group derives any benefit from Gambia’s membership. But I do know that Gambia benefits a lot from the commonwealth.”

 The controversy surrounding the commonwealth withdrawal, meantime, is not dying anytime soon. It has apparently become a rare political football in a country where dissenting voices are overshadowed by fear for repression.

Beyond its impact on the domestic politics, the commonwealth withdrawal fuels worry over the resource-poor country’s growing international isolation.

The British government’s funding agency, DFID, has pulled out in 2011. This was followed by the UK’s downsizing of her mission in Gambia. The UNAIDS and French mission, respectively, are leaving later this year.

With this trend, according to the opposition leader, Mr Darboe, the future that awaits Gambia is bleak.