Gambiaj.com – (ANKARA, Turkey) – In a strongly worded open letter, Gambia’s Ambassador to Turkey, Alkali Conteh, has sharply criticized Foreign Minister Dr. Mamadou Tangara for remarks made about some Gambian diplomats during a recent televised discussion. Conteh accused Tangara of engaging in a “smear campaign” against politically appointed diplomats and of abdicating his own responsibilities in overseeing the country’s foreign missions.
The row erupted following Tangara’s appearance on the Mansa Kunda program on May 16, where he outlined Gambia’s foreign policy while also identifying what he called the ministry’s “challenges.” Tangara singled out “political appointees” — diplomats he said were installed without due regard for qualifications — as the primary source of misconduct and inefficiency within the foreign service.
But Ambassador Conteh rejected this characterization outright. “Your remarks are a distortion and a myopic view of the president’s constitutional prerogatives to appoint officials across government, not just in the foreign service,” Conteh wrote. He stressed that many of the so-called political appointees are in fact “highly qualified” and have “served our country in one way or another.”
Conteh also refuted Tangara’s examples of diplomatic misbehavior in missions in Rabat and Havana, arguing that the foreign ministry itself bears responsibility for failing to address conflicts before they escalated. “The blame squarely falls on your head, and you must not run away from it,” he declared.
Highlighting what he called “selective accountability,” Conteh accused Tangara of conveniently ignoring incidents involving career diplomats, such as the 2021 case in Washington, D.C., where four Gambian diplomats were expelled for criminal activity. He also recalled an incident in New York City where Tangara himself was allegedly caught on camera exchanging blows with a peaceful protester outside the U.N. General Assembly.
Conteh took further aim at what he described as Tangara’s neglect of key duties, notably the absence of regular consultations with ambassadors and high commissioners. “Since 2017, there has not been a single virtual or physical conclave for foreign policy discussions,” Conteh wrote, calling it “a monumental leadership failure.”
The ambassador also expressed disappointment at the lack of attention given to Gambians living abroad. Conteh argued that the minister has failed to consider ways for the diaspora to participate in national elections or hold parliamentary representation, and he questioned Tangara’s silence on the eligibility of dual citizens for cabinet posts.
Concluding his letter, Conteh called for a recalibration of the foreign ministry’s priorities. “The problem within the Gambian foreign service has nothing to do with political appointees, but everything to do with your abdication of responsibility,” he charged.
The public spat between two senior diplomats underscores ongoing tensions within Gambia’s foreign service, which has faced repeated challenges over professionalism, mission discipline, and inclusiveness of the diaspora in national affairs.
