By Isatou Sarr
Talib Ahmed Bensouda, leader of the United National Independent Transformation and Empowerment (UNITE) and flag bearer of Coalition 2026, has pledged to place The Gambia’s national security fully under the control of Gambian security forces if elected president.
Bensouda made the remarks at the signing ceremony of the Coalition 2026 Memorandum of Understanding, where he outlined his positions on national security, governance and economic development ahead of the December 2026 presidential election.
He questioned the continued reliance on the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG), arguing that Gambian security institutions were capable of protecting the country if adequately equipped and supported.
He said the Gambia Police Force, Gambia Armed Forces and other security agencies should receive better salaries, stronger incentives and the necessary equipment to perform their duties effectively.
“Gambia’s security will be in the hands of Gambians. No foreigner will guard President Talib Ahmed Bensouda,” he said.
“If I am elected president, I will tell ECOMIG thank you, but Gambia’s armed forces, the Gambian secret service, and the Gambia Police Force are the ones that are going to guard the State House and the country at large,” he added.
Bensouda argued that reliance on foreign security forces had weakened domestic capacity and contributed to rising crime, saying Gambian institutions should assume primary responsibility for protecting the country and its citizens.
He said a Coalition 2026 government would pursue a similar approach in other strategic sectors, including electricity, by investing in domestic generation capacity and reducing reliance on external sources.
Bensouda also criticised President Adama Barrow’s leadership, saying the president had not communicated sufficiently with Gambians during periods of national difficulty.
“Leadership is not only about laying foundation stones or inaugurating buildings, or entering planes and attending independence celebrations of other countries,” he said. “Leadership is something that people have to feel and notice.”
Bensouda also pledged to make tribalism a prosecutable criminal offence if elected, as he outlined a broader agenda focused on corruption, poverty, food security and long-term national development.
“We will make tribalism a prosecutable criminal offence,” he said.
He promised a tougher approach to corruption and crime, saying a Coalition 2026 government would not tolerate corrupt practices in public institutions or communities.
Bensouda identified poverty as one of the country’s fundamental challenges and said reducing it would be central to his coalition’s governing programme.
“The foundation of The Gambia’s problems is poverty,” he said, arguing that government policies should prioritise vulnerable and low-income citizens.
He also pledged to pursue greater food self-sufficiency by working with agricultural experts to increase domestic production and reduce dependence on imported food.
Bensouda criticised the Barrow administration for what he described as an emphasis on short-term measures aimed at securing electoral support rather than addressing the underlying causes of the country’s challenges.
He cited electricity as an example, arguing that the government had become increasingly dependent on power imports from Senegal since taking office in 2017 instead of developing sufficient domestic generation capacity.
He said disruptions in regional electricity supplies had demonstrated the risks associated with such dependence.
Bensouda said a Coalition 2026 government would instead implement long-term programmes aimed at addressing the underlying economic and development challenges facing the country.
The Coalition 2026 flag bearer also urged his supporters to refrain from insults, personal attacks and disparaging rhetoric as political parties intensify preparations for the December 2026 presidential election.
He said political disagreements should focus on ideas and competing visions for the country rather than personal attacks.
“Let us not allow politicians to divide us,” Bensouda said. “Politics without respect is not politics; politics is about ideas. If you are disagreeing with someone, your disagreement is with how The Gambia should go.”
He called on Coalition 2026 supporters to exercise discipline and respect when engaging political opponents, saying insults and attempts to belittle others should have no place in the coalition’s activities.
“If you are a supporter of Coalition 2026, that should not be your programme or attitude,” he said.
Bensouda further pledged that a Coalition 2026 government would serve all Gambians regardless of their political affiliation or how they voted.
“Those who vote for us and those who do not vote for us, we will make everybody equal and work for all of them,” he said.
He added that the coalition remained open to political parties and other actors interested in joining its political project.
“Our doors are open for all political parties and actors to join Coalition 2026,” Bensouda said.
The Coalition 2026 flag bearer also expressed confidence in his prospects in the 5 December presidential election, predicting that he would defeat President Barrow and lead the coalition to the State House.
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