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By Musa Bassadi Jawara | Economist & Author | Bintou’s Point, Kerewan 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐮 𝐃𝐢𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐲𝐞 President of the Republic of Senegal Palais de la République Dakar, Senegal 24 May 2026 Dear Mr. President, The rupture between you and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has wounded you both to near mortality. But it is Senegal and the Senegalese people who will bleed in Himalayan pro

The recent assertion that the APRC government under former President Yahya Jammeh merely “faked” development projects to attract votes is not only unfortunate, but also deeply insulting to the intelligence and lived experiences of Gambians. No well-meaning citizen can simply ignore such reckless statements. It appears the President is either desperately struggling to communicate a convincing message to the Gambian people or deliberately attempting to mislead and manipulate th

The PASTEF Rupture and a Nation in Peril By Musa Bassadi Jawara I. PREAMBLE — ON VINDICATION Before the March 2024 elections, I wrote a sober, measured piece. One line only said Amadou Ba had the institutional edge. For that single sentence, PASTEF’s digital militia descended. I was called a liar, a relic, a mercenary of the old order. They mocked, doxxed, and damned. My inboxes overflowed with venom. My analysis, built on 30 years of watching Dakar politics, was dismissed as

By Musa Bassadi Jawara Mr. Tambadou, you forwarded your “Open Letter to Mustapha K. Darboe” dated May 18, 2026 to me directly. In the spirit of transparency and public accountability, I respond. The nation is entitled to more than one voice when matters of justice, reputation, and public trust collide. This is that response — professional, academic, and unflinching. The issues you raised in your letter, in their entirety, are presented as conclusions of fact. With respect, th

By Musa Bassadi Jawara, Bintou’s Point, Kerewan I was informed within moments of his demise in New York, United States at my vantage point in Bintou’s Point, Kerewan. News travels fast in this age, but grief travels faster. It pierced the quiet of the compound and settled on my chest like the harmattan. Late Hon. Mbemba Jatta, Former Minister of Trade, Environment & Labour Under former President Sir Dawda K. Jawara Upon learning the sad news my initial reaction translated in

Sometime back, after finishing the poem “Journey to the Hereafter,” I shared it with a number of friends before publishing it on Facebook. The responses I received were telling: “Are you leaving for eternity?”, “No, don’t bring this kind of poem to me. Please, let us know if you are ready to go!”, “. . . And stop writing these types of writings 😢. Write about money—that’s what I want to see 😂”. Others joked that the poem sounded like I was “giving warning shots” before depa

A Response Essay | What Did the Workshop Actually Validate? | By Dave Manneh, Securing Futures: Land Rights Action Collaborative (SFLRAC) On 12 April 2026, What If We Stop Performing the Lie? (the third essay in The Architecture of Predation trilogy) asked what happens when communities refuse the performance the state requires. Seventeen days later, the NaNA Conference Hall offered not an answer but an illustration. The architecture, dressed in the language of reform, had l

The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) has officially launched its self-service mobile application, marking a significant step in its digital transformation drive aimed at improving service delivery and customer convenience across The Gambia. The NAWEC self service app Introduced in April 2026, the mobile app allows customers to purchase Cash Power, pay water bills, and manage their utility accounts directly from their smartphones. In a major boost to its function

By Dave Manneh, Securing Futures: Land Rights Action Collaborative (SFLRAC) | 13/04/2026 In December, I described the Gambian state as predatory by design, built to break us. In February, I exposed its survival mechanism: ritual compliance. Citizens perform legitimacy daily without knowing it. Both pieces asked diagnostic questions. This piece asks the necessary third. If the architecture depends on our performance, what happens when we stop feeding it? Three Refusals That S

By Maa Touray | Why Seeking a Third Term Could Be President Adama Barrow’s Worst Political Decision President Barrow is bidding fo a third term as PORG and second under the NPP | Photo credit: State House A decision by President Adama Barrow to seek a third presidential term may prove to be the most consequential political decision of his political career. At first glance, such a claim may appear exaggerated. After all, the president currently enjoys political advantages and

Hon. Momodou Charreh Gibba, Councillor for Gunjur Ward stands as one of the most influential local government leaders in The Gambia’s West Coast Region. Serving as Councillor for Gunjur Ward under the Brikama Area Council (BAC), he has earned widespread recognition for his advocacy in sustainable development, democratic governance, and grassroots empowerment - both nationally and on the global stage. His journey reflects a powerful combination of community-rooted upbringing,

Gunjur is no longer just organising football - it is beginning to redefine how grassroots sports should be structured, managed, and sustained

Just days after leading 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐅𝐂 to glory in the 𝐆𝐒𝐂 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓/𝟐𝟔 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐩 , Coach Sulayman Barrow “Yetti” has reached another major milestone in his football journey, successfully earning his 𝐂𝐀𝐅 𝐂 𝐋𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐦. Coach Sulayman Barrow’s Red Star that won the GSC 2025/26 League Cup The 39-year-old tactician continues to cement his reputation as one of the finest emerging coaches from Gunjur and the wider region, combining recent

By Omar A. Manjang | Edited by Lamin Jammeh Unsung heroes are those whose service to humanity often goes unnoticed. As Steven Morris once said, “Unsung heroes don’t seek recognition, but their impact is undeniable.” Balla “Kumba” Touray truly embodied this quote. Balla Touray was a man proud of his identity - so much so that if anyone mistakenly called him Balla Darboe, he would promptly and firmly correct them. Popularly known as Balla Kumba, he was a selfless servant of his

Gunjur continues to produce sons and daughters who make lasting contributions beyond the shores of our coastal town. Among them is Dr Ensa Touray, a respected Gambian historian, senior lecturer, and published author whose academic journey began right here in Gunjur. Early Life and Education in Gunjur Born and raised in Gunjur, Dr Touray received his early childhood education at Gunjur Primary School, where his intellectual curiosity first took root. Growing up in a community

It has been a difficult campaign for Gunjur United in the Gambia Football Federation Division Two. After 12 matches, the Coastal Boys find themselves second from bottom with just nine points, a position that has sparked concern, frustration, and intense debate among supporters back home. Gunjur Utd sits on second from bottom of the GFF Second Divison with 9 points. | Photo credit: Gunjur Utd Only Serekunda FC sit below them on eight points, leaving Gunjur United firmly entre

What If the Machine Survives Because the Ritual Demands Performance? The Architecture of Predation in The Gambia By Dave Manneh, Securing Futures: Land Rights Action Collaborative (SFLRAC) Sunday, February 15, 2026 In December, I diagnosed The Gambia's state as a predatory system. That analysis established what the architecture is: a machinery that fuses presidential authority with sacred kingship ( Mansayaa ) and mystifies theft through statutes like the State Lands Act 1991

INVESTIGATION DOSSIER: How an £8,515 Donor-Funded Borehole Project for Fayunku Women Garden Unravelled By Gunjur Online Investigations Desk Background: A Project Meant to Empower In February 2025, Gunjur Online reported on the commissioning of a new borehole and water supply system at the Fayunku Women’s Garden in Gunjur. You can read that story here >> Linking Without Borders Commissions Borehole at Fayunku Women’s Garden in Gunjur Gunjur Online’s headline of the commissio

The Gambia’s Democratic Crossroads: How Barrow Squandered the Authority That Made Him By Dave Manneh Mandinkas have a concept for the kind of authority Adama Barrow once had: fang majiyo aniƞ horromo niƞ boo-ñaa : the quiet legitimacy that accrues to someone humble, respectful, sociable. This is not the theatrical magnetism that Western political theory calls charisma. It is authority grounded in character rather than spectacle, earned through conduct rather than claimed thro

What If the State Is Not Broken, but Built to Break Us? The Architecture of Predation in The Gambia By Dave Manneh, Securing Futures: Land Rights Action Collaborative (SFLRAC) At a moment of widespread disillusionment, we must ask the harder question: Why do we excel at blaming our leaders? The record is familiar. Jawara was complacent; Jammeh, brutal; Barrow, a squandered promise. This blame holds truth, yet risks missing the real target. What if the failure lies not in