WHAT’S THE STORY?
It was 50 years ago today that The Gambia declared itself a Republic.
The smallest country in West Africa is entirely surrounded by Senegal, apart from its 50 miles of coastline on the Atlantic. It has a population of 2.3 million, or about half that of Scotland, in a land area of about a seventh of Scotland’s, at 11,300 sq kms (4300 sq mls).
One of only two countries in the world with The before its name – The Bahamas is the other one – The Gambia is often referred to as just Gambia, but its full correct name has been The Republic of The Gambia since 1970.
The Gambia was a British colony established around the current capital, Banjul (then Bathurst), in the early 19th century. The Gambian protectorate was established further up the River Gambia.
Once a thriving centre of the slave trade, The Gambia’s status as a protectorate within the British Empire saw the evil business decline and end.
In the post-war process of de-imperialisation, Britain encouraged the Gambians to take control of their own affairs, starting in 1960 with a new constitution and elections. Five years later it became an independent country, but still with the Queen as head of state and a governor-general in charge.
SO A COUNTRY BECAME INDEPENDENT OF BRITAIN AND THEN CHOSE ITS OWN FUTURE SHAPE?
That’s exactly what happened. The Gambian government, headed by then prime minister Dawda Jawara, a vet by profession who trained at Glasgow University’s School of Veterinary Medicine and who said he was politicised in Scotland, was convinced that the country would only flourish as a republic. Jawara’s Progressive Party had campaigned for a referendum to make The Gambia a republic but the first referendum on November 28, 1965, agonisingly failed to get the required support of two-third of the electorate – the margin was less than one per cent.
Jawara was determined to press ahead with reforms in the state, and these included a campaign to get people to turn out and vote – the turnout in 1965 was just 60%.
The second referendum on becoming a republic inside the Commonwealth was called for April 1970, and this time the turnout was 90% – more than in Scotland’s first referendum in 2014.
The result was an overwhelming 70% in favour of becoming a republic. On April 24, 1970, The Gambia was formally declared a republic and Dawda Jawara, the one-time Glasgow student debater, became the country’s first president.
DID YOU SAY TWO REFERENDUMS?
Yes, and both were approved and even encouraged by the British Labour government of the time under Harold Wilson. He was defeated in the UK General Election less than two months after The Gambia became an independent republic.
Jawara went on to rule The Gambia, often with corruption alleged, until 1994, when he was ousted in a coup d’etat by army officers led by Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh. Jawara had survived a previous coup which happened when he was attending the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.
The fact is that the UK government specifically allowed two referendums on the future of The Gambia within the space of just over five years. Later in 1970, the Westminster government fully recognised the country’s change of status with an Act of Parliament.
The Gambia has had many difficulties since becoming a republic as it is one of the poorest countries in the world in terms of natural resources.
After a third referendum in 1996, this time on a new constitution, President Jammeh, unlike his predecessor, ruled over The Gambia with very dubious tactics and policies, including homophobic laws and making himself very wealthy. He also withdrew The Gambia from the Commonwealth in 2013 after criticism of his leadership.
Though he disputed the result and had to be forcibly removed from power, Jammeh was defeated in an election in 2016 by current President Adama Barrow, who will hope to win the general election next year.
ISN’T THE GAMBIA ONE OF BORIS JOHNSON’S FAVOURITE COUNTRIES?
Well, it was one of the first countries that he visited when he was foreign secretary. In February 2017 Johnson went to The Gambia to meet President Barrow and promote the country’s return to the Commonwealth.
While in the country he referred to the previous president as a “Jammeh dodger”. No-one there got the joke.
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