By Omar Bah
Lamin Keita, an educationist from Gambia who is based in the United States, has urgently called on President Adama Barrow to engage with the new Senegalese President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, on the matter of ‘fence-mending’ diplomacy. Keita emphasizes that this immediate action will help to address the security and economic challenges faced by both countries in the Senegambia region.
According to Keita, President Faye’s visit to The Gambia will allow both countries to explore “fence-mending” diplomacy and work towards their mutual interests in a peaceful environment. He believes that both nations should focus on exploring opportunities to solve their dichotomies to promote mutual growth, national development, and regional peace.
Keita strongly believes that the Senegalese President’s upcoming visit to The Gambia is a pragmatic foreign policy approach that could significantly benefit both countries. He underscores that such a visit could promote functional integration of shared culture, language, history, and democratic values, which would in turn strengthen economic exchanges between the two countries.
Keita also believes that the new leadership in Senegal is intelligent and pragmatic. They understand the importance of bilateral relations, which should start with their next-door neighbor. According to him, President Faye wants to undo any bad blood between the two countries and try to learn from the previous government’s past mistakes.
Bilateral relations between The Gambia and Senegal were strained during President Jammeh’s rule but have significantly improved since 2016. Keita believes this positive shift sets a promising backdrop for the Senegalese President’s forthcoming visit to The Gambia.
Keita underscores that The Gambia should vigilantly guard its sovereignty and economic interests in the sub-region, given its geographic proximity to Senegal. He emphasizes that Barrow’s government should be acutely aware of the realities of international and domestic power politics and work towards a dynamic foreign policy that mirrors the democratic dispensation adopted by its neighbors.
Keita warns that the process should not be implemented through the self-perpetuation metaphor of democracy and politics of patronage that the Senegalese have rejected. He believes that Senegal’s continual presence and political intervention in The Gambia since 2016 portrays political control and interference, which should be discussed during President Faye’s visit to The Gambia. Keita cautions that growing suspicion of Senegal’s political and economic motives in The Gambia may engender public opinion and plant seeds of discord between the two countries.
