Fatoumata Tambajang

"My son, even if you bring a Holy Quran here, I will tell you it’s not true. If you ask the president, he too will tell you it’s not true. People have spread lies about me, but I forgive them. I know who fabricated those lies, but as a Muslim, I have forgiven them. I am pleased that His Excellency President Barrow has learned the truth. He stood by it and invited me on the 16th of August. We discussed the letter, and it was never something I wrote."

"Removed and replaced with a note that I had no knowledge of. I looked into what went wrong, uncovered the truth, and identified those involved, and His Excellency President Barrow was aware of this."

"Many people have lost their lives here—not only Solo Sandeng; there are so many others. There are countless unsung heroes, and I will honor each one of them. His Excellency Adama Barrow also acknowledges those who have served and sacrificed, even if they aren’t here to witness this day."

"The success lies in having an independent mediator, respected by all political parties and with whom I have good relations. Gambia is a close-knit country, and through my professional life, both within and outside the UN, I’ve interacted with many of them. People here see me as a mother figure, recognizing that I have no political ambition beyond uniting them. My only agenda is The Gambia, without any political affiliation or interest. This neutrality, along with the respect and trust from political leaders, made it possible. No single person can claim responsibility for creating the coalition—it was supported by both the sub-region and the wider region. These key factors are what made it successful."

"The administration is progressing relatively well, especially given what we inherited. After 22 years of dictatorship, resources were drained by the dictator, his administration, and allies. When we assumed office, the coffers were empty, so we had to quickly secure budget support from partners like the EU, World Bank, the United Nations, and allies such as the US and the African Union."

"This constitution, after all, was designed by former President Jammeh primarily for his own benefit. For 65 years, we’ve been signatories to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and various other human rights agreements. Article 16 of the Universal Declaration says there should never be discrimination based on age, gender, race, or religion. So, imposing an age limit is inherently discriminatory, and globally, no country has such a limit in their constitution. What truly matters is the competence and loyalty of an individual, and this is the way forward. Similar situations occurred in Southern Africa, such as in Zambia in 2008 when Rupiah Banda became president. A few years into his presidency, a law was passed banning people over 70 from running for office, specifically targeting the main opposition leader, Michael Sata, who was 71, just three years younger than President Banda. It wasn’t just The Gambia that faced such challenges. While you say the law was Jammeh’s, I agree that there are both good and bad laws in his system. Some of the laws are, in fact, beneficial, regardless of where I stand. I want to be straightforward and truthful. My priority is the Gambia’s agenda, not personal interests. On the global stage, The Gambia must align with the United Nations and the world at large. Our participation in the UN General Assembly is part of that, and we learn from global practices. However, we must ensure that we follow democratic principles. The reason for our transition is to establish democratic governance where everyone feels included and has a voice, and where laws protect the human rights of both individuals and communities."