Africa-Press – Gambia. Ousainou Darboe, leader of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), has criticized the ongoing issuance of Gambian national identity cards to citizens abroad, describing it as illegal and contrary to national law.
Speaking in a recent interview with Kerr Fatou, Darboe argued that under existing legislation, national ID cards cannot be issued outside The Gambia’s borders. He said only Gambian passports are recognized for identification purposes in foreign countries and accused the authorities of acting outside the scope of the law
“We wrote to them that their actions are against the law,” Darboe said, referencing a formal query sent by the UDP to the Director General of the Gambia Immigration Department (GID). “If you look into our laws regarding the issuance of ID cards, there’s nothing that permits such actions outside the jurisdiction of the country.”
Darboe said the GID replied by directing the party to take up the matter with the Ministry of Interior, a response he called evasive. “That’s scapegoating,” he said. “It’s the GID and its Director General whose signature appears on these cards not the Ministry.”
The GID recently began issuing ID cards to what it described as “undocumented Gambians” in Mauritania, with plans to expand the initiative to other African countries. Darboe questioned the criteria used to identify these individuals as Gambian citizens.
“If they are undocumented Gambians, how did they travel abroad in the first place? Maybe within ECOWAS, yes but outside of ECOWAS, a passport is required, not an ID card,” he argued.
Darboe further suggested that the move might be politically motivated, possibly linked to voter registration efforts ahead of the 2026 presidential election. “I don’t put anything beyond them,” he said.
He also questioned why the initiative was limited to African countries and not extended to Gambian missions in Europe. “Why aren’t they issuing ID cards in Italy or France, where we have embassies?” he asked.
The UDP leader emphasized that his party remains committed to challenging government irregularities and will consider legal action if necessary.
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