The Gambia, a West African nation surrounded entirely by Senegal, has recently seen a worrying rise in tribal divisions. With a population of fewer than five million and a deeply rooted traditional society, concerns about increasing tribalism, exclusion, and marginalization have drawn national and international concern. In June 2024, The CEO of Peace Network, Alassan Justice Jallow, warned of signs of potential violent conflict in the country, including hate speech, disinformation, and misinformation around ethnic and religious attacks.
To tackle these issues, a coalition of peace-focused organizations including Activista The Gambia, Safe Home for Migrants Association (SaHMA), Global Platform, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, launched a 10-day peace caravan in February 2025.
Backed by the UN Peacebuilding Fund’s Women and Youth Project, the initiative targeted communities across the Banjul, West Coast, and Upper River Regions in the smallest African country.
Taking the Message to the People
Activists used the caravan to bring elders, women, and young people together to discuss peace and harmony, Ansumana Camara, the national coordinator of Activista The Gambia, told Peace News Network (PNN).
He said that during the trip, activists visited districts and met with village heads and community leaders to advocate for the inclusion of youth in development committees and women in district tribunals.
Camara noted the grassroots impact of such engagements. “We took the message directly to where people live, work, markets, public spaces, because these are the voices often left out of policy conversations. We made sure they were heard,” he said.
In marketplaces like Barra, Farafenni, Kaur, and Basse, the Peace Caravan delivered lively musical performances and serious conversations. “We targeted these places because the people there, especially women, are the backbone of society,” Camara said. “They must not be left behind.”
Camara recalled the success of similar initiatives during the last election cycle. He said the activists organized a caravan to promote peaceful elections and voter education. This experience, he said, showed them how effective direct community engagement can be in building trust and awareness.
Confronting Tribalism and Empowering Women
Amie Jobe, a peace activist and representative of SaHMA, said that tribalism is one of the root issues they’re confronting. “We believe that most of these communities are struggling with tribalism,” she said, adding that there are deep divisions around identity and inclusion. This, Jobe said, was why the caravan participants came together to speak openly and honestly about peace and inclusion.
Ousman Baldeh, Program Manager at Global Platform, also highlighted the urgent need to address rising tribalism head-on. “Tribalism is rising in The Gambia. People are beginning to identify more with their tribes than with the nation,” Baldeh told PNN. “Some political parties are aligned with particular tribes, and that means even if you are competent for a position other tribes may not vote for you,” he said, adding that this was why the peace caravan was important.
Jobe emphasized that including women in community structures is critical, as many village women are sidelined. “They raise the kids, they farm, but they don’t have a voice in leadership. When women are included, they feel represented. They know there is someone they can talk to about their problems,” she said.
She explained that the group brought women and men together, old and young, to have one conversation about peace, because unity is powerful. It builds understanding, and it builds a future, Jobie said.
Challenges on the Ground
But the caravan’s work isn’t easy. “One of our biggest challenges is resources. We can’t reach every village the way we want to,” Jobe admitted. “And sometimes people misinterpret our work as political. That discourages them from participating.” she said.
Beyond Conferences: Reaching Rural Communities
Baldeh stressed the importance of taking peacebuilding beyond workshops and into the streets. “You can’t only talk about peace on TV or in conferences. How many people in rural villages can access those platforms?” he pointed out, saying that the caravan brings the message to people directly.
Badeh said that the caravan is going to chiefs, youth, women, and everyone who has a stake in peace. He said that participants were asking authorities to include marginalized groups in their decision-making processes.
Listening and Tackling Taboos
The caravan was also an opportunity for the activists to listen. Badeh said that when caravan activists speak, children and youth speak back, and participants hear about their problems. This way, the purpose is not merely to preach peace and inclusion, but to create a dialogue. He also pointed out the long-standing caste and traditional challenges that persist in many rural Gambian communities.
“In some rural areas, people who are considered ‘slaves’ by traditional standards can’t even speak during meetings…They can’t marry who they want. This is part of the problem,” Baldeh said. “To build peace, we need to promote inclusion at all levels regardless of tribe, gender, or background.”
He said peacebuilding is not easy, but warned that if issues of tribalism, marginalization, and inequality are not addressed, it will affect everything: the economy, politics, and people’s daily lives.
Lasting Impact and Future Hope
The Peace Caravan’s impact was clear: Village leaders committed to include youth in development structures and women in community tribunals. Elders opened their ears. Youth opened their hearts. And across regions, the music, the dance, and the dialogue brought people together.
This is why in one of the meetings with elders, Alkalo Sailu Bah of Basse emphasized the importance of the caravan’s mission and advised the organizers to always preach peace and remain steadfast in nation building.
A vendor at the bustling Serrekunda market echoed the caravan’s sentiment by telling the organizers that, “Without peace, we cannot even come to the market to sell. We all have a responsibility to maintain peace and we need to be reminded of it every day.”
As Gambia confronts complex challenges from traditional hierarchies to political polarization, initiatives like the Peace Caravan are proving that grassroots peacebuilding remains not just relevant, but essential.
Keywords: The Gambia, peace caravan, peacebuilding caravan, peace, conflict, conflict resolution, Gambia tribes, tribalism, tribal conflict, West Africa, Africa
Mohammed Ibrahim
Mohammed is a multimedia freelance journalist in Kaduna State, Nigeria. He graduated from the International Institute of Journalism Abuja. In 2016 Mohammed received the Courage in Journalism Award for his investigative reporting, from the Africa Media Development Foundation.
