THE NEED FOR A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO GAMBIA-SENEGAL RELATIONS

The recent events in The Gambia have highlighted a serious deficiency
in the country?s foreign policy apparatus especially in relation to
Senegal. This deficiency has the potential, as has been witnessed, to
seriously affect not only bilateral relations but to hamper or even
paralyse many aspects of Gambian life. As countries related to and
interdependent on each other, it is imperative that relations between
Gambia and Senegal be based on principles of co-operation, equality,
partnership and mutual respect. This can only be achieved if the
governments of the two countries, realising the special relationship
between The Gambia and Senegal, work in tandem to bring about policies
that will help to promote and advance the aspirations of both countries
in all aspects. This has however not been the case. What has so far
prevailed is the pursuit of policies by both governments exclusively
beneficial to the interests of their governments and people without due
consideration being given to the impact on the other side of the
border. This has resulted in a serious imbalance in relations between
the two countries in most instances advantageous to Senegal. This
imbalance has taken several forms and it will be helpful to identify
some of the factors responsible.

As a country that has heavily invested in the cultural sector in
contrast to The Gambia that has practically neglected this sector for
decades, Senegal has been able to successfully harness the potential of
its citizens into a dominant power within Senegambia relations. The
result is a de facto state of cultural colonialism where Gambian
cultural life is dominated by Senegalese images, sounds and symbols.
The impact this has had is the paralysis of the Gambian cultural
sector. This is evidenced by the rejection of Gambian cultural
enterprises by Gambians in favour of Senegalese ones with the resultant
comatose state of The Gambia?s cultural industry. What does this entail
in reality? If a Gambian wants spiritual healing or guidance, he/she
bypasses the spiritual leaders in The Gambia and travels to Senegal. If
a Gambian wants to watch a Senegambian movie, he/she bypasses the local
theatre groups and gets one from Senegal. If a Gambian wants to listen
to Senegambian music, he/she bypasses the Gambian musicians and gets
one from Senegal. If a Gambian wants to speak ?proper? Wollof, he
attaches a Senegalese tinge to it etc. This leaves The Gambia without
heroes or people to look up to and this is very detrimental to the
national psyche. It is left weak and vulnerable to all types of
manipulation. This can be said to be one of the factors behind the ?big
brother ? small brother complex? between Gambians and Senegalese with
the consequential underlying Gambian hostility and underlying
Senegalese haughtiness.

Another area of imbalance is the economic. The inequity in the
cultural sector translates to the investment in the Senegalese cultural
industry with its resultant advancement and modernisation to the
detriment of the Gambian cultural sector and those engaged within it.
The economic aspect is not exclusive to the cultural sector but extends
further to other facets within Senegambian relations. An example would
be the awarding of contracts for building projects. One would notice
that Senegalese building contractors are awarded many contracts by both
government and private individuals. In the process of fulfilling such
contracts, everything is brought in from Senegal including machinery,
skilled and even unskilled labour. After the contract is fulfilled,
everything is taken back. How does this benefit The Gambia in terms of
developing its human resources? How does this help to reduce
unemployment in The Gambia if even unskilled labourers are brought in?
How does this encourage industry in The Gambia if all the money is
taken back to be invested in Senegal? The transfer of money across the
border extends to the yearly religious expeditions to Senegal, the
money spent on Senegalese artistic enterprises by Gambians both at home
and abroad etc.

After having looked at some of the imbalances within Senegambian
relations, it would be beneficial to look at the policy follies.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

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