BANJUL (GAMNA) 18/02/24 - On February 18, 1965, The Gambia achieved independence from its colonial masters. Ever since, Independence Day has been celebrated, and particularly the decennial celebrations have provided opportunities for stock-taking, reflecting on past achievements, and setting out national goals. It is a special occasion that evokes both pride and critical reflection.
Moreover, celebrating national events such as independence incites public discussion regarding the content and meaning of national values, shared experiences, and socio-political unity. The celebrations become an important arena in which the state makes the nation manifest in the hearts and minds of its citizens.
The entire celebration is marked by diverse commemorative events assigned to particular themes, ranging from reflections towards emancipation, unity, and service to the nation. The celebration constitutes dense moments of the symbolic, ritual, and discursive construction of nationhood. It consolidates and, at the same time, redefines the nation by enhancing citizens’ emotional attachment and providing an opportunity for vigorous debates regarding national history, current achievements, hitches, and visions for the future.
For a more contextual comprehension of The Gambia’s struggle for independence, we caught up with Mr. Jolong Sambou, a senior statesman of Kaninfing Housing Estate. He began by explaining that The Gambia, like many other African nations, was blessed with natural resources and favourable geographical placement—two traits that the European colonists could never resist.
He posited that the actual troubles of The Gambia began with its accidental discovery by the Portuguese Prince Henry but magnified as the English colonists took over. In the mid-15th century, he narrates, Prince Henry set up trade spots in The Gambia, but a century later, the Portuguese lost interest in the region. Around the same time, the English found Gambia to be a favourable base of operations for their Timbuktu adventures and later took over. “Later, their interest in The Gambia declined, and it was declared independent on February 18, 1965, and subsequently as a republic in 1970,” he added.
Commercial Significance and the Fight for Independence
Gambia, as the smallest nation in mainland Africa, still had its own geographical significance as it was surrounded by the River Gambia. The river flew into the Atlantic Ocean and accelerated trade and commerce. This ease of navigation facilitated the slave trade and also expeditions to Timbuktu, the African El Dorado.
“It was the treasure trove that all the European colonists were after but could not capture due to two reasons: the deadly disease and the harsh Saharan desert,” Mr. Sambou explained.
It was not uncommon for explorers to survive on camel urine or on blood while on their expeditions, which took several days of travel in the harsh climate.
He went on to explain that a base nearby was critical, and that was one of the few major reasons the British colonised The Gambia. Besides Timbuktu, access to and control over The Gambia also facilitated the slave trade, which ended in 1807 when the British Empire abolished the slave trade.
According to Mr. Sambou, commercial interest in The Gambia gradually declined as Timbuktu was captured by the French in 1894 and the British had no commercial interest left in the country.
On the other hand, he further narrated the unrest and protests for independence in The Gambia grew stronger in the mid-1940s, and two decades later, The Gambia got its first-ever elected head of the legislature, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara. “This brought an end to colonialism and marked the beginning of a republic that now makes all its decisions through an elected head of state.
Independence Day Celebration
Independence celebrations provide an opportunity for the outpouring of patriotic sentiments.
The Gambia’s first Independence Day Parade on February 18, 1965, was held at McCarthy Square and attended by members of parliament, ministers of state, foreign leaders and diplomats, schoolchildren, workers, and the general public. Similar parades and celebrations are held at regional and district levels.
According to the Senior Statesman, the general expectation is that all citizens will observe its significance by taking stock of the country’s progress and achievements, of the challenges ahead, and of the collective destiny of Gambians. At the same time, it also provides an opportunity for vigorous debates about the state of the country.
Also, as regular reminders of significant milestones in a country’s history, national commemorations re-centre “the nation” in the lives of ordinary citizens and provide important source materials by which the political elite may create and solidify a sense of nationhood among citizens.
Mr. Sambou opined that such national commemorations serve as indispensable tools of governance.
He mentioned that by looking at debates surrounding the country’s independence anniversary celebration, we should focus on how the country’s political, economic, and cultural development has been assessed by both ordinary citizens and the political elite. Even though national day celebrations are intended to mark a period of heightened national unity during which citizens and leaders recommit themselves to the “national cause," they also tend to magnify contentions over the nation-building project.
He said that owing to the poignant feelings that these celebrations evoke and the essentially open-ended nature of the nation-building project, rival political factions prefer to use such occasions to assert competing narratives of the nation and to contest authorised visions of the future. Because of this, national day celebrations provide a rare opportunity to study contestations and negotiations that are embedded in the process of nation-building.
The name Gambia
Asked about the origin of the name ‘Gambia’ Sambou explained that it is a corrupted pronunciation of the word ‘Kambra’ or ‘Kambaa’, which in the Mandinka language refers to a specific type of gourd vegetable. This gourd was traditionally beaten when a Serer elder died.
Why ‘The Gambia’?
This West African country was officially referred to as ‘The Gambia’ in 1965, when it was declared independent. However, he narrated that later in 1970, the leaders decided to change its official name to ‘Republic of The Gambia’. The region has also been referred to by other names like ‘Sene-Gambia’ and ‘Islamic Republic of The Gambia’. The Senegambia Confederation was for cooperation between the two neighbours, but after Gambia’s refusal to be part of the union, it was dissolved on September 30, 1989.
Moreover, in December 2015, former president Yahya Jammeh’s government renamed the nation ‘Islamic Republic of The Gambia', but this was reversed two years later by his successor. Although there has been a string of names, the best one is ‘The Smiling Coast of Africa’ which truly reflects the culture of this tiny nation filled with some of the friendliest people.
National cohesion and inclusiveness
Contemporary nation-building is multifaceted, incorporating political, cultural, and economic dimensions of national freedom.
For more on this, we engage Mr. Bai Jobe, a retired security officer, and Bubacarr Gaye, a final-year university student.
Mr. Gaye remarked: “Despite being small, each kingdom on this small strip of land had its own cultural significance, probably the reason why most Gambians speak an average of four languages. This cultural diversity is also reflected in Gambia’s Independence Day celebrations held at McCarthy Square, Banjul. The speeches and cultural performances clearly showcase it.”.
On security, he indicated that the security sector gained significant reforms after independence and that the country today relishes total security and protection for its citizens. He calls for peace and national security.
Bubacarr Gaye reflects on the spectacular display by students during the march past. He explained how excited he used to be as a fifth-grade pupil to participate in the march past. He reminisces over students marching in contingents to the beat of drums by the police band in new uniforms with white socks and marching sandals while the dignitaries preside over it.
National commemorations in The Gambia should be understood within this general context. There is a strong public discourse about the virtue of fostering national cohesion and a distaste for ethnic preference, and Independence Day celebrations provide an excellent opportunity for giving expression to this sentiment. Moreover, as an instrument for the creation of national identity, the celebrations present the discursive context within which visions of the nation and its accomplishments can be explicitly debated.
