Editorial: When Silence Becomes Complicity: Selective Outrage and Dangerous Rhetoric in The Gambia

By JarranewsTV Editorial Board

There is a troubling inconsistency creeping into The Gambia’s public discourse—one that threatens not only fairness, but the very principles of accountability and peace that our democracy depends on.

When Demba Sabally  stated that NPP  supporters were “ready to shed their blood” to ensure the re-election of President AdamaBarrow, the backlash was immediate and intense. Opposition parties, civil society actors, and self-styled activists rushed to condemn the remark. In many instances, the statement was stretched beyond its ordinary meaning—mischaracterized as a call to violence against others, rather than what it more commonly signifies: a willingness to sacrifice oneself for a political cause.

Yet, in stark contrast, when the Chairman of Brikama area council  publicly asserted that “for a peaceful change of government to happen, somebody has to die,” the response has been muted, if not entirely absent. This was not metaphorical. It was not symbolic. It was a deeply troubling assertion that introduces the idea of death as a condition for political transition—an idea that strikes at the very core of democratic order.

The silence from key institutions has been deafening.

Where is the principled response from the National Human Rights Commission? Where are the strong, unequivocal statements from civil society organizations that claim to defend human rights and democratic norms? Why has there been no decisive repudiation from the United Democratic Party, a party that prides itself on legal expertise and intellectual leadership?

This selective outrage erodes public trust. It sends a dangerous message that accountability is guided not by principle, but by political convenience. When one statement is amplified and condemned—arguably beyond its intended meaning—while another, far more explicit in its dangerous implication, is ignored, it exposes a double standard that weakens the credibility of those who claim moral authority.

The Gambia’s democratic journey has been shaped by hard-earned lessons about the cost of instability and the value of peace. That progress must not be undermined by reckless rhetoric or by the failure to confront it when it arises. Words carry weight—especially in politically sensitive moments—and leaders must be held to the highest standard of responsibility.

We therefore call not only on national institutions, civil society, and political actors to break their silence, but also urge the international community and global human rights organizations to take note. Statements that suggest violence as a pathway to political change are not mere domestic concerns—they are warning signs that demand vigilance, scrutiny, and principled response.

The Gambia cannot afford a culture where dangerous words are either distorted for expediency or ignored for convenience. Consistency is the foundation of justice, and without it, advocacy becomes hollow.

Silence, in moments like this, is not neutrality—it is complicity.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/

https://www.hrw.org/

https://www.ecowas.int/

https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-high-commission-banjul

https://gm.usembassy.gov/