Headlines

Gambia spends over D3bn on debt interest in six months

The Gambia spent D3.10 billion on interest payments for its debt during the first six months of 2026, with the cost rising by 18% compared to the same period last year, Finance Minister Seedy Keita has disclosed before parliament on Monday. The figure represents 45% of the amount government had budgeted for debt interest for the whole of 2026, according to the Mid-Year FY2026 Budget Performance Brief presented by the minister.

Sep 22, 2026 • Jankey Ceesay

Alleged Ex-Jungler Sanna Manjang faces desertion charges at Court Martial

The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) has convened a General Court Martial (GCM) to try Lieutenant Colonel Sanna Manjang, a former serving officer and alleged member of the former regime's "Junglers" squad, on a charge of desertion.

Sep 22, 2026 • Landing Ceesay

Barrow inaugurates 4.5km Gunjur Seaside Road, calls for political unity

President Adama Barrow on Saturday, 19 September 2026, inaugurated the newly completed 4.5-kilometre Gunjur Seaside Road, a government-funded project aimed at improving connectivity to the coastline and boosting tourism and local economic activity.

Sep 22, 2026 • Landing Ceesay

Essa Faal set to join Barrow camp in major political shift

Sep 22, 2026 • Landing Ceesay

Mayor Lowe urges women to back UDP leader Darboe in Dec polls

Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe has called on women in Kotu, Latrikunda, and Manjai to rally behind United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Ousainou Darboe in the upcoming December presidential election.  

Sep 22, 2026 • Ismaila Sonko

Luxury expedition cruise ship SH Diana arrives in Gambia

The Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard), in partnership with Gambia Tours, on Friday, 18 September 2026, welcomed the SH Diana, a luxury expedition cruise ship operated by Swan Hellenic, to the Banjul Sea Port. The vessel arrived in The Gambia with 138 passengers on board as part of its West African cruise itinerary.

Sep 22, 2026 • Yunus S Saliu

Basic Edu Minister urges schools to protect learning time

The Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Habibatou Drammeh, has called on schools across The Gambia to cut back on non-essential activities that take teachers and students away from the classroom, stressing the need to safeguard instructional time.

Sep 22, 2026 • Ismaila Sonko

U.S. to transfer D186M ex-president Jammeh forfeited funds to Gambia

The United States Government and the Government of The Republic of The Gambia have signed an agreement to initiate the transfer of $2,507,911 (approximately GMD 186 million) in recovered corruption proceeds, forfeited from a Potomac, Maryland, property tied to former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh. 

Sep 21, 2026

No to Alliance launches political agenda, calls for reconciliation

The No to Alliance Movement (NAM), a political movement that emerged from opposition to the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction's (APRC) alliance with President Adama Barrow's National People's Party (NPP), was officially launched on Saturday at Pencha Hall in Senegambia, with a call for reconciliation.

Sep 21, 2026 • Momodou Jawo

Dr. Ceesay hints at possible alliance with Essa Mbye Faal

Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information Media and Broadcasting Service, has suggested that Essa Mbye Faal, leader of APP Sobeyaa, may join the National People’s Party (NPP)–led alliance ahead of the December presidential election.

Sep 21, 2026 • Ismaila Sonko

Diocese of Banjul mourns passing of Ya Sarah Goddard Joof

The Catholic Diocese of Banjul has announced the death of Ya Sarah Goddard Joof, described as a strong pillar of the Church and a woman of deep and unwavering faith. She passed away early hours of Friday.

Sep 21, 2026

GRA and Liberia Revenue Authority sign deal to deepen digital cooperation

The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) have signed a Memorandum of Engagement (MoE) to strengthen digital revenue administration through peer-to-peer technical cooperation. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 8th West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) High-Level Policy Dialogue in Accra, Ghana, by GRA Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe and LRA Commissioner General James Dorbor Jallah.

Sep 21, 2026

GABECE 2026: Girls outshine boys as MoBSE records best pass rate since 2021

Girls have outshined boys in the 2026 Gambia Basic Education Certificate Examination (GABECE), which recorded the highest national pass rate since 2021.  The results, released by the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Habibatou Drammeh, on Friday, show 33,289 candidates registered, with females making up 59% of the total.

Sep 21, 2026 • Rohey Samba

$11.9M China funded project to power  80K residents in GBA

The Government of The Gambia and the People’s Republic of China have signed a US$11.9 million contract aimed at transforming electricity distribution networks and expanding access to reliable power for communities across the Greater Banjul Area. The contract for the China Aid Gambia Electricity Enhancement Project (GEEP) was signed on Friday, September 18, 2026, at the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines at Petroleum House, between the National Water and Electricity Company Limited (NAWEC) and Chinese contractor TBEA Co., Ltd.

Sep 21, 2026 • Isatou Ceesay Bah

Hon. Badjie calls for end to land allocations for senior civil servants

Hon. Bakary K. Badjie, National Assembly Member for Foni Bintang, has called on the Gambian government to halt the practice of allocating state reserve lands to senior public officials, insisting that such properties should instead benefit low-income citizens.

Sep 21, 2026 • Ismaila Sonko

WANETAM-4 launches 5-year West Africa health research drive

The West African Network of Excellence for TB, AIDS and Malaria (WANETAM-4) has officially launched a five-year programme aimed at strengthening health research, laboratory systems and scientific capacity across West Africa. The programme, funded through the European Union-Africa Global Health EDCTP3 partnership and coordinated by the MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, was launched on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at the African Princess Beach Hotel in Kololi.

Sep 21, 2026 • Isatou Ceesay Bah

ERCA Confab ends with call for stronger regional competition framework

The inaugural annual conference of the ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) ended on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center in Bijilo, with participants calling for stronger regional cooperation and enforcement of competition rules to promote fair and integrated markets across West Africa.

Sep 21, 2026 • Isatou Ceesay Bah

Ambassador Liu Jin bids farewell, leaves behind China's remarkable support to Gambia

During an occasion marked by mixed feelings on Wednesday, the Chinese ambassador to The Gambia, H.E. Liu Jin, paid a visit to President Adama Barrow to bid him farewell, leaving behind China's remarkable support to The Gambia since the restoration of bilaterals post-2016.

Sep 18, 2026