By Sirrah Touray
The United Democratic Party (UDP) marked its 30th anniversary on Sunday at Brikama with a blunt message for all citizens to put national interest above personal ambition.
Party leader Ousainou Darboe urged Gambians to unite, fight corruption and demand accountability for past injustices.
Addressing thousands of supporters, Darboe said the party’s three decades have been defined by sacrifice, resilience and commitment to democracy. “We celebrate our love for the country,” he said. “We fight for national freedom, peace and the future of coming generations.”
A central theme of the speech was remembrance with Darboe paying tribute to Solo Sandeng, the UDP youth leader who died in detention in 2016. “Solo died for Gambians,” Darboe said, lamenting that a decade after the Public Order Act central to the circumstances of Sandeng’s death remain unresolved. Darboe also pushed for unity across tribal and ethnic lines. “Forget tribe and ethnicity. Think of the sick and the elderly,” he said, citing poor health infrastructure, including the absence of an X-ray machine in Basse.
He promised that a UDP government would include persons with disabilities in the National Assembly and other government bodies, and pledged stronger youth representation, citing Yankuba Darboe as an example. Praising Banjul Mayor Rohey, Darboe called her “the best mayor in The Gambia.”
Welcoming Lawyer Essa Faal of teh APP-SobeYAA to the party, Darboe praised the lawyer’s work with the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). “Lawyers like Essa Faal understand that change comes through the ballot box, not force. He helped expose evidence of past brutalities,” Darboe said.
He said the UDP has fought corruption since 1996 and represents professionals — teachers, lawyers and civic leaders.