Basidia M. Drammeh.
Gambia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr. Momodou Tangara, has unexpectedly found himself embroiled in a heated debate as he contends for the position of Commonwealth Secretary General, which will be decided at the upcoming Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, 21 – 27 October 2024.
Dr. Tangara’s candidacy has sparked intense controversy, with critics highlighting his role as former President Yahya Jammeh’s enabler and mouthpiece on the global stage. During Jammeh’s rule, Dr. Tangara served as Gambia’s Foreign Minister and Permanent Representative at the United Nations, a position he held until his falling out with Jammeh in the latter’s final days. The critics argue that despite his high academic credentials, Tangara allowed himself to do Jammeh’s bidding rather than resign. It’s alleged that Tangara was once sent to Mali by the former Gambian dictator to facilitate the extradition of Ndaye Tapha Sosseh, a prominent female journalist.
Under his watch, Gambia’s foreign missions have been bloated with quite several inexperienced and incompetent diplomats-of course, not all of them – who were involved in activities incompatible with their status as the country’s representatives abroad. In this regard, three Gambian diplomats were expelled from the United States, while Gambia’s Ambassador to Cuba was recalled for involvement in a physical fight with his deputy. The former deputy head of mission in Mauritania has refused to abide by a recall alleging irregularities. To add insult to injury, Mr. Tangara rarely gives interviews or hosts press conferences to clear the air on those issues.
As a minister responsible for Gambians abroad, Minister Tangara has done nothing meaningful to ensure that the Gambian diaspora participates in processes such as elections or engages them to come back home to contribute their quota toward national development, even though his predecessor, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, created a diaspora department at the ministry during his tenure in office.
Meanwhile, since the Gambia assumed the chairmanship of OIC in May, very little has been heard about Gambia’s efforts to address a plethora of issues affecting the Muslim World, most notably the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza.
Despite Dr. Tangara’s leadership at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under two governments, the nation still lacks a foreign policy document. This document should guide our relations with the outside world and provide a blueprint for selecting individuals representing us abroad. The absence of such a document raises serious concerns about the direction of our foreign relations.
However, a section of Gambians argue that Dr. Tangara should not be singled out for such a harsh punishment. They point out that many current high-ranking officials have previously worked with Jammeh, including the Speaker of Parliament, Fabakary Tombong Jatta, the third most powerful personality in the country, and his Deputy Speaker, Seedy Njie. They believe that having a fellow Gambian in the post will boost the country’s profile in global diplomacy, considering Mr. Tangara’s longstanding experience as Gambia’s top diplomat.
In my view, it is crucial for Dr. Tangara to acknowledge his shortcomings and apologize to the Gambian people which could significantly improve his popular appeal, thus increasing his chances of securing the Commonwealth Secretary General position.
