{"id":95169,"date":"2026-03-18T11:48:06","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T11:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/uncategorized\/gambian-lawmaker-warns-of-rising-border-tensions-with-senegal"},"modified":"2026-03-18T13:16:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T13:16:51","slug":"gambian-lawmaker-warns-of-rising-border-tensions-with-senegal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/gambian-lawmaker-warns-of-rising-border-tensions-with-senegal","title":{"rendered":"Gambian Lawmaker Warns of Rising Border Tensions with Senegal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"ap-article-header-tag\"> <strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Gambia. <\/strong> <\/span><b>A member of the National Assembly on Tuesday voiced alarm over what he described as an intensifying and \u201cterrifying\u201d armed confrontation along the country\u2019s southern border with Senegal, calling on the government to take immediate and decisive action to safeguard civilians and uphold national sovereignty.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Bakary K. Badjie, who represents the Foni Bintang Karanai constituency, said reports of cross-border shelling in communities near the frontier\u2014particularly in the villages of Gifanga and Sibanor\u2014have heightened fears among residents and raised urgent questions about the government\u2019s response to the situation.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking in a telephone interview with Kerr Fatou on Tuesday, Mr. Badjie said that the sound and frequency of the bombardment had left communities on edge, with some residents uncertain about the scale or origin of the conflict unfolding nearby.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe bombardment has been going on within the borderline, and the constant explosions produce a terrifying sound,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople cannot even fully comprehend what is happening, but they are living in fear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The reported incidents come amid longstanding instability in Senegal\u2019s southern Casamance region, where a low-level separatist conflict has persisted for decades and occasionally spilled over into neighboring Gambian territory. While the extent of the latest confrontation remains unclear, Mr. Badjie suggested that the proximity of the violence to civilian areas in The Gambia demanded urgent intervention.<\/p>\n<p>In a press statement issued a day earlier, Mr. Badjie had already raised concerns about what he described as an \u201cimminent armed confrontation\u201d affecting border communities. On Tuesday, he expanded on those concerns, accusing the Gambian government of failing to respond adequately to the unfolding situation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe government is not doing anything; they are mute over the matter as if nothing is happening,\u201d he said. \u201cWe expect the government to stand with the Gambian people, to demonstrate concern for the country, and to respond appropriately and in a timely manner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He emphasized that the protection of life and property is a fundamental responsibility of the state, adding that the government must act both diplomatically and, if necessary, through security measures to ensure that Gambian territory is respected.\u201cThe government should make it clear to Senegal that The Gambia is a sovereign state and must be respected, regardless of our size or the nature of our relationship,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Badjie called on the president and the minister of defense to engage directly with their Senegalese counterparts in an effort to de-escalate tensions and find a lasting solution to the cross-border incidents. He suggested that the presence of Gambian security forces in affected areas indicates that senior officials are likely aware of the situation, but he questioned their willingness to act decisively.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe minister and the president are fully informed,\u201d he said. \u201cThe only problem is that they are not ready to take action.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The lawmaker also expressed frustration with procedural limitations within the National Assembly, which he said have hindered his ability to formally raise the issue and prompt broader parliamentary debate. He criticized the assembly\u2019s recent refusal to allow adjournment debates, describing the development as unprecedented and detrimental to democratic oversight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor nine months, the National Assembly has not accepted adjournment debates,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is very unacceptable. It has never happened in the history of this country that such debates are consistently blocked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Adjournment debates, he noted, are one of the few mechanisms available to lawmakers to draw urgent national attention to emerging issues, including security concerns. Without that platform, he said, it becomes more difficult to ensure that matters affecting citizens receive immediate and thorough consideration.<\/p>\n<p>Despite his criticism of the government, Mr. Badjie urged Gambians to remain united and vigilant, emphasizing the shared responsibility of citizens to defend the nation and support one another in times of uncertainty.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe only country we have is The Gambia,\u201d he said. \u201cProtecting any part of it is protecting the entire country \u2014 whether it is Jarra Soma, Kiang, Basse, Bansang, or Farafenni.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He reiterated his appeal directly to residents of his constituency in Foni, where anxiety has reportedly grown as news of the bombardment spreads. He called for calm but underscored the seriousness of the situation, urging national leaders to respond swiftly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a very sensitive matter,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is important that the president is fully alerted to how Gambians are being affected within their own territory.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As of Tuesday, the Gambian government had not publicly responded to Mr. Badjie\u2019s remarks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ap-article-footer-note\">Find more news and analyses on <span class=\"ap-highlight-country\">Gambia<\/span> on the <span class=\"ap-highlight-brand\">Africa Press<\/span> website<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Gambia. A member of the National Assembly on Tuesday voiced alarm over what he described as an intensifying and \u201cterrifying\u201d armed confrontation along the country\u2019s southern border with Senegal, calling on the government to take immediate and decisive action to safeguard civilians and uphold national sovereignty. Bakary K. Badjie, who represents the Foni [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":95168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7,12],"tags":[260],"class_list":["post-95169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-head-lines","category-policy","tag-gambia"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Gambian Lawmaker Warns of Rising Border Tensions with Senegal - Gambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"-article-header-tag&quot;&gt; Africa-Press - Gambia. 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