Ousainu Darboe vows to fight tribalism in The Gambia
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Kerr Fatou
Gambian United Democratic Party leader Ousainu Darboe has promised to fight tribalism and hate speech if elected president. At a public meeting, he called for stronger national unity and for citizens to be judged by their Gambian identity rather than ethnic affiliation, Kerr Fatou reports.
Ousainu Darboe, secretary-general and leader of The Gambia’s United Democratic Party (UDP), has promised to combat tribalism and hate speech if elected president. At a UDP public meeting, he described ethnic divisions as a threat to national unity and peaceful coexistence, Kerr Fatou reports.
Darboe said a future government should promote a shared national identity and judge citizens by their belonging to The Gambia rather than their ethnic origin. He also said existing laws on behaviour likely to cause public disorder could already be used against certain incitements to hatred.
The UDP leader promised that these rules would apply to everyone, including officials from his own party. “Even if you are the president of the UDP and you make a hate speech, we will set an example,” he said, according to Kerr Fatou. The promise comes after one to improve pay for Gambian security forces.
