“I want to remind everyone that The Gambia is one; I want to remind everyone again that all tribes in Gambia made Gambia a country. This country’s name isn’t Mandinka, neither Fula nor Wollof but Gambia,” Mr. Darboe was quoted as saying.
“During the time of Sir Dawda Jawara; Pierre Njie, and others that were into Gambia’s politics those days, they knew no tribe; they knew no religion but only Gambia that comes first in everything they do,” Darboe pointed out.
“UDP is not a tribalist party and will never be. Our primary objective is ‘UDP for a United Gambia’. A UDP government will stand for a one Gambia and will make sure tribalism has no place to survive in this country.”
According to him, Jawara was a Mandinka but during his time, PPP was never called a Mandinka party. “So why would some people today call UDP a Mandinka party,” he queried.
The UDP’s agenda, Darboe posited, is not a Mandinka agenda but a ‘5-Point Agenda’ that will benefit and protect every Gambian regardless of tribe or religion.
If UDP was a tribalist party, Darboe said, Marie Sock wouldn’t have joined UDP because she’s not Mandinka. “She’s supporting UDP because she knows UDP is here for The Gambia and will always stand for The Gambia. National unity is what I want for this country.”
“I want to tell every Gambian that all those people that are saying that UDP is a tribalist party are trying to separate the strong union that we all have as people of this country, and that all Gambians should not allow this to happen. I’m not and will never stand for tribalism but for a United Gambia,” he stressed.
“When we are in our mosques for prayers we are mixed with all tribes as one people and as Muslims and in our churches too, the same applies when praying, they all pray as one people and as Christians. So why not we see ourselves in that way and throw away the tribal mentality that some individuals are trying to bring as bridge between us.”
“I urge all Gambians to desist from violence as far as this election is concerned. Kairaba Jawara and Sheriff Dibba contested for elections but there was no violence; Pierre Njie and Jawara contested as well but there was never violence too.”
Furthermore, Darboe added that Gambians should not allow Ousainou Darboe and Halifa Sallah; Ousainou Darboe and Essa Faal; Ousainou Darboe and Mamma Kandeh; Ousainou Darboe and Abdoulie Jammeh or Ousainou Darboe and Adama Barrow not to bring us violence but as one people and one Gambia.
