By Sainabou Sambou
Stakeholders intensified calls for religious inclusion, accountability, and stronger legal protections at a seminar on freedom of religion and belief held Monday in The Gambia. Organized by the Women’s Association for Victims’ Empowerment (WAVE-The Gambia), in collaboration with the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA) and the National Assembly Parliamentary Caucus on Freedom of Religion/Belief, the event addressed pressing issues of religious discrimination and marginalization in Gambian society.
The forum united legal experts, lawmakers, faith leaders, human rights activists, and civil society actors who advocated urgent reforms to protect religious minorities.
Priscilla Yagu Ciesay, Co-founder and Senior Technical Advisor of WAVE-The Gambia, emphasized the need to empower victims of human rights violations and confront denials of religious freedom. “This seminar is a call for collaboration and commitment,” Ceesay said, adding that respect for religious diversity must be a “lived reality” to ensure peace and justice.
Dr. Rasheed Draman of ACEPA highlighted religious freedom as a foundational right often violated in oppressive societies. “The Gambia was once a model of religious co-existence, but that status is slipping,” he warned, citing a decline in recent years. Draman noted ACEPA’s efforts, including community engagements, international parliamentary forums, and advocacy for a national interfaith council modeled on Sierra Leone’s success.
Saffiatou Nyang, representing the Solicitor General, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting religious freedom, pointing to the newly established Victims Reparations Commission as a milestone in transitional justice. “The TRRC findings remind us of those persecuted for their beliefs,” Nyang said, stressing that inclusive governance is vital to counter religious extremism and ensure lasting peace.
The seminar underscored a collective resolve to strengthen legal frameworks and foster a society where all Gambians can freely and without fear practice their beliefs.
