Gambiaj.com – BANJUL, The Gambia – United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Ousainou Darboe has made an emotional appeal for national unity, rejecting claims that he or his party harbors hostility towards any ethnic group in The Gambia.
Speaking to Gambians, in a video record, responding to recent tribal remarks attributed to Local Government, Lands, and Religious Affairs Minister Hamat Bah at an NPP rally in Farafenni, Darboe drew on his upbringing, family ties, and decades-long relationships with communities across the country to challenge accusations of ethnic intolerance.
Darboe said he was born in Niani Dobo and raised in Bansang, where he grew up alongside Fula, Wolof, and Mandinka families.
He recalled that, as children, young people commonly referred to one another as “Fula Boy,” regardless of their ethnic background, describing it as an expression of familiarity and unity rather than division.
“I was raised among Fulas and Wolofs,” Darboe said, stressing that ethnic identity was never a basis for separating the communities in which he grew up.
A Life Shaped By Different Communities
The veteran lawyer and opposition leader also paid tribute to the late Pierre Sarr Njie, a prominent Wolof political leader under whose guidance Darboe lived after moving to Banjul.
Darboe said Sarr Njie taught him that character, public service, and vision should matter more than ethnic identity.
He said his own family reflects the same tradition of inter-ethnic coexistence, noting that his wives, relatives by marriage, and in-laws include Fulas, Wolofs, Jolas, and Sarahules. He added that his grandchildren speak Jola because of their father’s heritage.
“If I wanted to chase out Fulas, would I send my wives with them?” Darboe asked, dismissing the suggestion as unreasonable and accusing those advancing such claims of seeking to mislead voters.
‘No Tribe Can Be Chased Out’
Darboe argued that no ethnic group can be excluded from The Gambia without undermining the country itself.
“If a tribe can be chased out of The Gambia, then the country will be empty,” he said, urging citizens to reject politicians who seek political power by dividing communities.
His comments come amid growing concern over ethnic rhetoric ahead of the December 5 presidential election.
With just over two months before voters go to the polls, Darboe urged Gambians to exercise their own judgment and protect the country’s long-standing tradition of peaceful coexistence.
“Today and forever, we are all the same,” he said.
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