The Gambia is located on the west coast of Africa and covers 11,295 sq. km. With a population of about 2.4 million, it is the smallest country on the African mainland. Its capital city is Banjul.
After a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the First Republic, the national parliament was dissolved and replaced by the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC). The constitution was suspended, and political parties and activities were banned.
In October 1994, the AFPRC announced a four-year transition program aimed at restoring democratic constitutional rule. However, both local civil society organizations and the international community raised concerns that the transition period was too long. In response, the AFPRC established the National Consultative Committee (NCC) to review the issue, and the transition period was subsequently reduced to two years. Despite this change, the ban on political parties and political activities remained.
Just before the 1996 presidential election, the junta lifted the ban on political activities. Nevertheless, the three main political parties at the time, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) of ousted President Jawara, the National Convention Party (NCP), and the Gambia People’s Party (GPP), remained banned and were excluded from contesting the elections. All individuals who had held executive office during the previous 30 years were also barred from participating. Meanwhile, the AFPRC, which would soon transform itself into a political party, used its July 22 Movement to support the junta chairman’s presidential bid, effectively operating as a political party throughout the transition.
The AFPRC’s restrictions on political freedoms, especially under Decree No. 89, weakened political pluralism and created a political vacuum. In response, a group of concerned Gambians came together to explore a solution. Their discussions led to the formation of the United Democratic Party (UDP), established just two weeks before the 1996 presidential election. The party placed second, securing 36% of the vote. The UDP remained the country’s second-largest political party until 2016, when former president Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh was voted out of office, despite longstanding efforts by the AFPRC/APRC regime to intimidate and suppress UDP officials and supporters.
