Dr. Ensa Touray Debunks Claim That Kartong Once Shared a Border with Sanyang

A leading Gambian historian has dismissed as “bogus” a claim that the coastal village of Kartong once shared a border with Sanyang and predated Gunjur by more than a century.

UTG Associate Professor of History, Dr Ensa Touray

Dr. Ensa Touray, Associate Professor of African History at the University of The Gambia, delivered the clarification following recent protests by some residents of Kartong and Berending over the government’s border demarcation exercise. The dispute involves Jammeh Kunda, Darboe Kunda, and Berending - three communities locked in a long-standing land dispute.

At the protest, some demonstrators argued that Kartong originally gave the contested land to Berending during a time when Kartong allegedly bordered Sanyang. One protester even claimed that “Kartong existed 101 years before Gunjur came into existence.”

“If a people do not know their history…”

Responding to these assertions, Dr. Touray described the narrative as a misinterpretation of history, warning that such distortions can lead to unnecessary conflict.

“If a people do not know their history, they stand to regret their existence,” he cautioned.

According to Dr. Touray, the present-day Kartong has never shared a direct territorial border with Sanyang, and Gunjur was already a thriving settlement by the time modern Kartong was established.

Kartong Was Once in Pacholing

Dr. Touray explained that the confusion likely stems from the fact that Kartong once existed in a different location.

“In the history books, Kartong was under the rule of a female leader, Queen Wulending Jassey, in an area called Pacholing,” he revealed. “At that time, Sanyang was in Hawba, and the two settlements were near each other. But this is not the present-day Kartong. Today’s Kartong has never bordered Sanyang.”

Evidence from the 19th Century

To strengthen his argument, the historian referenced documented events from the late 1800s. Around 1874/75, the area where Kartong is now located was under the control of Kombo Sillah Touray after many years of Jihad from which the Islamic State of Kombo was established and the people of the region converted to Islam.

A dramatic episode in 1888 saw Kombo Sillah pursue one Nyansu Manka, who was accused of aiding Kabunkas (slave raiders) in kidnapping children. Sillah was assisted by Kabba Jaiteh, a resident of Gunjur - the capital of Kombo Sillah’s territory at the time.

“This clearly shows that Gunjur was already a major settlement in the 19th century, contradicting claims that Kartong predates it by a century,” Dr. Touray said. “In fact, the Jaiteh family in Kartong today descends from Kabba Jaiteh who was living in Gunjur around 1888.”

What Was Gunjur’s Status Back Then?

Historical records indicate that Gunjur served as the administrative center of Kombo Sillah’s domain, while the present-day Kartong area was sparsely populated and under external authority.

Dr. Touray also noted that during Kartong’s time in Pacholing, present-day Gunjur was occupied by the Beyaros, highlighting the complexity and depth of settlement patterns in the region.

Bottom Line

The historian’s clarification effectively debunks the claim that Kartong once shared a border with Sanyang or existed centuries before Gunjur.

A border demarcation post installed by government taskforce which is being disputed by some Kartong and Berending residents

This is a distortion of historical facts and such narratives cannot form the basis for determining modern land ownership.