Opinion: Diaspora Agitators Are Abusing Gambia’s Democracy for Their Own Gain

By Samba Baldeh

It is nothing short of tragic that those who played no role in the long and painful struggle to remove dictatorship from The Gambia—those who were completely absent until late 2014, when their close relatives became victims of tyranny—are today the loudest voices urging our youths into the streets against the police, despite the reality of democracy and rule of law in this country. People like Juka Ceesay, Tukulorr Sey, Ben Suwareh, and other self-styled diaspora “activists” have reduced politics to little more than adrenaline-seeking agitation. Their noise on Facebook and WhatsApp is their only claim to relevance. Since their emergence in the final years of Jammeh’s rule, they have devoted themselves to destabilising The Gambia—not through constructive ideas or sacrifice—but through endless noise-making from their living rooms in the U.S. and U.K. Let’s be honest: no nation has ever developed by turning its youth into idle protesters who blame the government for every shortcoming while refusing to take responsibility for their own growth. Development comes from action, discipline, and hard work—not constant ranting online. Take Juka Ceesay as an example. She tragically lost her brother in 2014, but rather than channelling her grief into something productive, she has turned it into a lifelong campaign of bitterness against President Barrow. Tukulorr Sey thrives on the dopamine of Facebook likes, patrolling timelines for division, her activism more about attention than nation-building. And then they dare to call this “democratic struggle.” Protest is indeed a right—but it is not a lifestyle, nor a business model for collecting diaspora donations. This culture of endless protests that these individuals are exporting into The Gambia is toxic, unsustainable, and fundamentally dishonest. In the very countries they live—America, the U.K.—no one can protest without permits and strict rules. Why then do they expect The Gambia, a young democracy, to tolerate chaos disguised as activism? Turning social media into a circus of division is not activism. It is the abuse of democracy. And it feeds directly into the argument many African thinkers have made: that Africa is being pushed into “democracy” without the time to build the strong institutions and disciplined civic culture that the West took centuries to develop. Instead of direct colonial interference, today’s destabilisation comes through diaspora loudmouths whose motives are anything but national interest. President Barrow must not be distracted by this posturing. During Jammeh’s brutal era, many of these so-called activists were silent, enjoying their personal lives abroad. Now, suddenly, they parade as the conscience of the nation while insulting judges, security officers, and civil servants who are simply carrying out their duties. Even in America, if you defy the law in protest, you face arrest. But when Gambian law enforcement upholds the same principles, these diaspora agitators scream “dictatorship.” This hypocrisy is nauseating. Democracy without law and order is not democracy—it is anarchy. And to the Gambian youth: stop letting yourselves be manipulated by these attention-seekers thousands of miles away. You have opportunities before you—education, entrepreneurship, community building. Instead of wasting your energy on Facebook live streams and protests for protest’s sake, invest in building your own future. This country needs builders, not pawns for diaspora egos. Finally, the UDP—once respected as a voice of maturity in opposition politics—must reflect deeply. Aligning with every anti-government bandwagon only diminishes its credibility. Opposition must mean offering alternatives, not promoting chaos. The time has come to draw the line: democracy is not a toy for diaspora adventurists. It is the lifeblood of our nation, and it must be protected from those who would abuse it for likes, donations, and personal validation.