By Arret Jatta
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) has warned that rising hate speech and ethnic tensions could threaten peace ahead of The Gambia’s 5th December presidential election.
The warning was issued by an NDI international pre-election assessment mission that visited The Gambia from 24th to 28th August.
The mission was co-led by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, former US Ambassador to the United Nations and former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Professor Attahiru Jega, former chairman of Nigeria’s electoral commission.
Presenting the mission’s findings, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said: “The delegation found that overall preparations for the presidential election are proceeding as planned, Gambians are hopeful that a successful presidential election on 5th December, 2026, will contribute to reinforcing democratic gains attained over the past ten years; however, many are also apprehensive that negative trends such as hate speech could exacerbate identity politics and ethnic tensions in the country.”
The mission said it was informed of four instances of online hate speech between ethnic groups during its five-day visit. Civil society representatives and security officials also identified hate speech and false information as major risks to a peaceful election.
NDI urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to reject statements and social media posts that demean ethnic groups or incite hostility.
The institute also called on political actors to sign and respect a public peace pledge and use legal channels to resolve electoral disputes.
The mission urged the media to strengthen fact-checking and ensure that reports do not fuel ethnic divisions or undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
NDI also called on security forces to remain impartial and professional when managing political rallies and demonstrations.
The assessment noted that The Gambia has made significant progress in political, civic and media freedoms since the 2016 election that ended Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year rule.
However, Thomas-Greenfield said the country must protect those democratic gains through peaceful elections and continued legal and constitutional reforms.
“For many Gambians, the transparency and credibility of the 2026 election will be an important marker of the health of the country’s democracy and a determinant of its future trajectory,” she said.