“I am Gambana, not a Slave”

Gambana Community in Garawol observing Friday prayers in their mosque under construction 

Gambana Community Elders in Koina 

Gambana elders in Garawol talking to the reporter 

Gambana women in Garawol observing Friday prayers 

In Garawol and Koina, some 400 kilometres from Banjul, in the Kantora District of the Upper River Region of The Gambia, there live a people from the Soninkara (Sarahulleh) tribe fighting to free themselves of the clutches of caste-based slavery in the 21^st Century.

“I am Gambana, not a slave”, has been their mantra since 2014 as they proactively struggle against a long-standing traditional practice that stifled their fundamental rights to equality and dignity.

On Thursday, July 17th, 2025, we travelled by bus through the Banjul-Basse Highway through the south bank of River Gambia. Our mission: to meet with, and listen to the plights of the people who have been considered lowest in social status within the Soninkara communities. Their lives and livelihoods have hit the rocks since they declared themselves free from such norms and cultural practices that shackles them in traditional slavery, using the slogan “Gambanaxu” (“we are all equal” in their dialect).

After a night in the high temperatures of the regional township of Basse on July 18, we began the 31-kilometres journey from Basse to Garawol in the morning. From there, another 40 kilometres further rom Basse, to border settlement of Koina.

“Gambanaxu Fedde” is an international movement founded by Gaye Tene Traore, to fight against caste and descent-based discrimination in the Soninke communities in Africa, including Mali, Mauritania, Gambia, and Senegal.

At Garawol, the elders of the community, led by the President of Gambana, Manku Gambana Sankareh, met us at an incomplete community mosque currently under construction. After they were expelled, or rather, stopped from worshipping from the main community mosque by the so-called nobles (the Horos) for refusing to be called enslaved people, the Gambana began building their own place of worship, that would serve their community. 

How it all started, Garawol and Koina

Yusupha Danso, the Public Relations Officer of Gambana in Garawol, was vehement in driving the point that even if their ancestors agreed to be slaves, their generation has a right to refuse such a designation and practice their communities regard as slaves.

“If my name is Muhammed and you decided to give me another name other than the one I received after birth in order for you to demean me and socially reduce me to nothing in my community, then it is my right to put a stop to it,” Danso explained.

With cola nut in hand, the “slaves” form a delegation, walked to the Alkalo and declared to him, that, “We do not want to be living as slaves. We were not born slaves, and we do not want to be living in any form of slavery.”

As cola was commodity of honor and respect in culture, so do they also desire a similar treatment from their neighbours and community members. They do not wish to be living in shame or labeled with enslaved connotations such as given to Manku’s or the Danso households. They demand that this message be communicated to the rest of the village and the Alkalo did.

The response that breaks the Camel’s back

After a few weeks, the Gambana community elders formed another delegation and visited the Alkalo to receive their feedback. To them, they have taken a new step that would form the bases for a new future as free members of that community, without any strings of slavery on their necks. They wish to forge new paths ahead, living side by side with every other community member.

The Alkalo’s message in return was even more shocking: what could they want from their “masters” when their ancestors, including their grandfathers, fathers, and their entire generations, had accepted statuses of living as slaves and subjects in the village. Those terms are not amendable today as it is a practice passed down from generations. Simply, if they reject that status, their only option was to quit living in the village for the city or towns.

They too, stood their grounds. “We are not slaves!”

This marks a start of feud that would witness the denial of burial rites of their dead at the village mosque because they protest any one calling their dead “my slave” – neither did they, in return complied to being labelled slaves, or to performing slave duties; such that it led to the blowing of the horn – another longstanding clarion call only made when matters of grave importance, such as war or other emergencies struck the village – calling for a meeting.

Persecutions

When the Gambana community made it clear that they would not back down on their quest to free themselves from this traditional slavery, the so-called nobles resorted to violent persecutions and sanctions to frustrate them into submission. Manku Sankareh, the President of the Gambana Garawol branch, explained their struggle:

“We were stopped from praying at the village mosque; we were harassed, beaten and called as slaves. We were banned from visiting and associating with them. Anyone who boards any of the Gambana community vehicles for travel to the city or towns is fined D5,000,” he said, adding that, “I have a shop, and they instructed that anyone of their people who buys from me will be punished.”

In Koina, Alagie Sulayman Camara stated that they were prohibited from attending village activities. They were also banned from praying at the mosque, and when they insist, they get whipped inside the mosque.

“Our children who were enrolled in the village Arabic schools were harassed and verbally abused. Sometimes, they are kicked out because we, their parents, refused to be enslaved. We decided to contribute and build our mosque and a school, but they resisted. We were only able to establish a mosque and a school thanks to the judgment of the High Court and the intervention of the Supreme Islamic Council.”

Marriage between the two set of people has been strictly forbidden, describing the others as impure persons who would taint their noble blood. While the so-called nobles can date and impregnate women considered as slaves, they, however, are never allowed marriage. It is believed that a child born out of such a union is still a slave, no matter the status of the father. He said if a woman from Gambana insists on getting married to any noble, she has to go through a “cleansing” ritual to rid herself of the slave lineage; give herself a new name and identity.

“Our lands that have been with us for decades, used for farming and sustaining our families, have been seized and taken from us because we refused to be enslaved,” he explained.

The so-called nobles will turn up one day and seize our lands, claiming that since the lands were designated to us as their slaves, we no longer have any rights to utilize them now that we claim to have seized existing as slaves.

“When they came for my land, I resisted, took the matter to court, and won the case,” said Manku Sanneh.

Access to Justice and Government

In December 2022, the High Court in Banjul, presided over by Justice Aminata Saho-Ceesay, delivered a judgement in favour of the so-called enslaved communities of these villages, who filed a lawsuit against the so-called nobles seeking an order from the Court to stop them from interfering with the construction of a mosque and Arabic School, and labelling them as slaves.

Alagie Modi Trawally filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Gambana Community against the Governor of the Upper River Region, the Chief of Kantora District, and the Alkalo of Garawol. The Court declared it as unconstitutional to subject the so-called enslaved people to discriminatory practices and prohibitions. It also states that labelling them enslaved people or ascribing any such titles to them connotes an inferior social status.

The judgment also indicated that discriminating against them is a gross violation of their fundamental human rights, that it is unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional. It further declares that such cultures and traditions are unlawful and unconstitutional; prohibits anyone from interfering with the so-called enslaved people's right to practice their religion by building a mosque and an Arabic school.

Musa Tambadou was the Imam who led the Gambana community for the Eid prayers, after they were prohibited from praying at the Garawol central mosque. He could only lead the Eid congregational prayers for his people in one of the compounds, which doesn’t sit well with the so-called nobles. When the Alikalo of the Village summoned him; he refused to go. The Alkalo sent a delegation to inform him that he had been fined D20,000 for performing the Eid prayer for his people. He refused to pay the fine, and was asked to leave the village.

Tambadou reported the matter to the Fatoto Police station. They got summoned by the late commissioner Ensa Badjie, along with the nobles. After hearing from them, Badjie told the nobles that they were wrong to fine and ask the imam to leave the village for exercising his right to practice his religion. He told them to stop the discriminatory practices of traditional slavery and live in peace and harmony.

Muhammed Krubally from Koina, who wore a cap bearing the words “Gambana” in defiance and went to the mosque to pray, was tied, beaten mercilessly, arrested, detained and charged in court.

Ali Camara, Secretary General of Gambana, said that after the so-called nobles assaulted Muhamed, they went to the police and accused him of inciting violence when he was the victim. Muhammad’s statements were taken both at the Fatoto and Basse police stations. On multiple occasions, the police alleged that they couldn’t account for those statements. Muhammed was later arraigned on a single count of inciting violence by wearing a provocative hat bearing the words “Gambana”. He pleaded not guilty and was denied bail, and remanded in custody. The case was later withdrawn from court. 

The enslaved also suffered arson attacks, when houses belonging to the Gambana Community in Koina were burned down. No lives were lost, but properties were burnt to ashes. When the matter was reported to the Police in Fatoto, they arrested the both the victims and the perpetrators. More than 20 people were detained.

The Gambian Garawol PRO, Yusupha Danso, blamed the Government of The Gambia, particularly President Adama Barrow, who is believed to be partly from the Sarahulleh tribe, for not publicly addressing the issue and holding a meeting with both sides to foster unity and equality between them. He said that during the Parliamentary elections that brought their current member of Parliament, Billay G. Tunkara, the Gambana Community played a huge role in electing him. As such, he alleged that most of the cases against the so-called nobles did not make it to court due to his influence.

He said Tunkara, who is also the majority leader in Parliament, never attempted to bring both parties together to discuss the issue and put an end to the discriminatory labelling and practices against them.

Roles of the National Human Rights Commission and the Supreme Islamic Council

The National Human Rights Commission of The Gambia investigated the caste conflict in the Soninkara Communities of the Upper River Region and made recommendations to the Government of The Gambia. The report highlighted and confirmed the discriminatory practices meted out on the so-called enslaved people in the Gambana Communities of Garawol, Koina, and Diabugu.

The recommendations include raising awareness of the affected communities on laws and human rights instruments that prohibit discriminatory practices, initiating reconciliation meetings between the two castes. It encourages the VDC of the affected communities to open the membership without any discrimination, encourage schools to have extra-curricular activities that will foster unity like sporting events, train law enforcement officers on human rights and discriminatory practices.

The Supreme Islamic Council, according to the Gambana Community, has also played a crucial role in maintaining peace and utilizing Islamic texts to promote equality and tolerance. They also told the community to let the so-called enslaved people build their mosque and Arabic School.

Gains Made since inception of Gamabana

The Gambana Community in Koina contributed and built a Mosque and an Arabic School worth D8.1 million. The Mosque is a two-storey building that caters to both men and women. Ali Camara stated that the situation is somewhat better and calmer now, compared to when they began in 2014.

Today, they can use identical vehicles which was not possible in the past. They buy from each other now, and they are hardly labelled as enslaved people. The violence has also reduced.

Notwithstanding, Camara said that more needs to be done, especially in areas such as educating the people about their rights and responsibilities. When everyone knows that calling and labelling someone as enslaved people to demean them is against the laws of the land, they will stop doing it. He said the challenge is that people view the issue as part of their culture and do not perceive it as a Human Rights violation. He called on the Government to implement the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission.

In Garawol, the Gambana Community is constructing a large two-storey building and an Arabic School, which is nearing completion. The Community has spent millions to purchase the land, buy building materials and pay for labour. The PRO, Danso, stated that the so-called nobles are now allowing others to use their vehicles and are living in peace.

However, they want the government to address the issue publicly and facilitate meetings with both parties to recognize their fundamental human rights. They are a minority, but they have voting rights, and they will make sure to vote in office people who will speak and stand by them. 

Through their Secretary General, Ali Camara, they also participate in the forum on the Participation of NGOs in the 82nd and 83rd Ordinary Sessions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights held in Banjul to table their issues before the commissioners and the international community.

As the Gambana community of Garawol assembled in their incomplete mosque for Jumuah Prayer on Friday, 18th July, 2025, adorned in their traditional African Kaftan and gowns, basking in their newfound freedom granted by the High Court of the Gambia, the pride – that the struggle to free themselves from caste-based discrimination is a worthy cause. Speaking to this medium, their eyes were sparkling and gleaming with hope, they speak with one voice, “I am Gambana, not a Slave.”

Author: Halimatou Ceesay

Photo Credit: Ousman G. Darboe

Editor: Sanna Camara