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Written by: Dawda Baldeh
Religious leaders in The Gambia have called for political tolerance, national unity and peaceful coexistence ahead of the forthcoming elections, warning politicians and citizens against allowing political, ethnic and religious differences to threaten the country’s peace.
The call was made during the commemoration of the 45th International Day of Peace, organised by the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Banjul at the Senegambia Beach Hotel under the theme, “Invest in Peace, for Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.”
Francis D. Mendy, National Director of Caritas Gambia and a member of the Justice and Peace Commission, said peace must go beyond the absence of conflict.
“Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is the presence of human dignity, dialogue, reconciliation, compassion, opportunity, justice, and respect for human rights,” Mendy said.
He urged Gambians to make peace a daily responsibility, particularly as the country approaches the elections.
Chairperson of the Justice and Peace Commission, Reverend Father James Jatta, said reconciliation should remain at the centre of The Gambia’s democratic journey.
“True peace requires dialogue, forgiveness, and the courage to reject hatred and division,” Father Jatta said.
A representative of the Methodist Church warned against inflammatory political rhetoric and the use of ethnicity for political advantage, stressing that political contests are temporary while communities must continue to live together after elections.
“Let us never use tribe as an instrument for political advantage. Because elections, they come and go. Governments will come and go. When all that is over, we still have to live together,” he said.
He called on politicians and their supporters to make elections a contest of ideas rather than identities.
“Let us challenge policies without attacking identities. Let us disagree with positions without demeaning persons,” he said.
Salama Njie, National Network Coordinator of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) in The Gambia, called on political leaders to conduct themselves responsibly and protect the country’s long-standing peace.
“Lead with humility, campaign with dignity, and whatever the outcome of the coming elections, remember that the Gambia is bigger than any one party, and peace is bigger than any single victory,” she said.
President of The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council, Essa Foday Darboe, also stressed the responsibility of religious leaders to promote peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians.
“As Muslims, it is our duty, our commitment to be peacemakers in this country,” Darboe said.
He described Christian-Muslim coexistence as a “precious national strength” and called on religious leaders to protect it through dialogue and collaboration.
The religious and civil society leaders called on Gambians to safeguard peace before, during and after the elections, stressing that political differences should never be allowed to destroy relationships within families and communities.
