Gambana: the Fight against Caste & Descent Based Slavery in URR
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meeting with the Gambana community in Koina meeting with the Gambana community in Garawol  mosque built by the Gambana community in Koina GFoD delegation with th Gambana community |
On Monday evening, the 13thof May 2024, the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent Delegation set out on a journey of 424.5 kilometres from Banjul to Garawol and Koina in the Upper River Region of the Gambia through the South Bank Road.
The Delegation spent the night at Basse and on Tuesday Morning, the Journey to meet with
the Gambana People in the Sarahulleh (Soninke) Communities of Garawol and Koina Began.
The visit was meant to gather first-hand information about the trials and tribulations the communities are faced with in their bid to free themselves from caste and descent-based slavery.
The team visited Garawol and Koina and the meeting was attended by Men, Women and children of a community bleeding in their hearts because they were being oppressed for saying No to a tradition accepted by their forefathers and fathers. Caste and descent-based discriminations in the Gambia can be found in most if not all tribes but the Sarahulleh communities in the Upper River Region of the Gambia had been making headlines due to violence between the so-called nobles (freeborn) and so-called slaves who called themselves the “Gambana” community.
Gambanaxu Fedde is an organization founded by Gaye Tene to fight against caste and descent-based slavery in the Soninke Communities. Gambana means we are all equal.
Denouncing slavery
Yusupha Danso, the Public Relations Officer of Gambana in Garawol said “We Bought colanut, formed a delegation visited the Alkalo (village head) and informed him of our desire to not be called, and treated like a slave.” The Alkalo said they (the nobles) would not accept that. If the so-called slaves don’t want to be called slaves or treated like slaves, they should leave the village. He said if they insist on staying in the village, they either accept to be called or treated like slaves or they (the nobles) will force them to accept and be treated like slaves.
Persecutions
The so-called slaves took the matter to the police for their intervention about the threats made against them by the Alkalo (Village Head). The police called them (the so-called nobles) and advised them to desist from maltreating the so-called slaves who refused to be called slaves. The so-called nobles were angry about this and went back to the police station and informed them that the so-called slaves went to the mosque and insulted the Imam of the Mosque which led to the arrest of 9 people from the Gambana Community (the so-called slaves) including the PRO. They were detained at the Fatoto Police Station for 6 days and moved to the Jangjanbureh prison in Jangjanbureh where they were locked up without trial for one month. The so-called slaves hired the services of a lawyer who helped secure their release from prison.
According to the Gambana Community in Koina, Alajie Sulayman Camara, an elder in the community said the fight to free themselves and their generations yet unborn from caste and descent-based slavery is a never-ending fight. He said among the persecutions against them are isolating and banning them from social and developmental activities concerning the village. He said they all contributed to building the village mosque, but the so-called nobles started harassing and beating them inside the mosque and tied one of their sons with a rope after beating him. They did a video recording of the man being tied and it went viral on social media to an extent, the man's wife divorced him because she said she could not withstand the shame of being married to a man who had been beaten, tied up and videoed.
He said for peace to reign, they surrendered the village Mosque to them and they contributed over 8 million Dalasi and built a new mosque for their Community. He said they also kicked out their children from the village Arabic Schools and they had to build their schools to be attended by their children.
When the so-called nobles saw that they (so-called slaves didn’t budge), they attacked their source of livelihood by seizing the lands they had been farming on for decades claiming that it belonged to them.
Musa Sanneh, a Gambana Elder said, the so-called nobles created a vigilante group with the target of burning 7 compounds but they were able to burn only 3 compounds in the Gambana Community of Koina. The arson was reported by the Gambana Community to the Police but when the police arrived they arrested the perpetrators and victims as well. He said 24 people were arrested 18 from the so-called nobles and 7 from the Gambana Community, the so-called slaves.
Marriage and Relationships
To the so-called Nobles, the women of the so-called slaves are not good for marriage but they can date them and even have kids with them out of wedlock. The so-called nobles can even kill their children if they want to defy them by marrying into the so-called slave caste. There was one case that took place, but the marriage happened in a Cadi Court in Bundung. The couples are still married and have children together but they are not residing in the village.
Access to Government and Justice
The Gambana community expressed their disappointment and displeasure with the Government of the Gambia's failure to address the violence meted out to them by the so-called nobles. They said even their National Member in Parliament refused to represent their interest and bring forth their issues before lawmakers. They said they still have pending courts cases before the courts because Justice is very slow. They said the only institution that hears them out is the National Human Rights Commission of the Gambia.
The team visited Garawol and Koina and the meeting was attended by Men, Women and children of a community bleeding in their hearts because they were being oppressed for saying No to a tradition accepted by their forefathers and fathers. Caste and descent-based discriminations in the Gambia can be found in most if not all tribes but the Sarahulleh communities in the Upper River Region of the Gambia had been making headlines due to violence between the so-called nobles (freeborn) and so-called slaves who called themselves the “Gambana” community.
Gambanaxu Fedde is an organization founded by Gaye Tene to fight against caste and descent-based slavery in the Soninke Communities. Gambana means we are all equal.
Denouncing slavery
Yusupha Danso, the Public Relations Officer of Gambana in Garawol said “We Bought colanut, formed a delegation visited the Alkalo (village head) and informed him of our desire to not be called, and treated like a slave.” The Alkalo said they (the nobles) would not accept that. If the so-called slaves don’t want to be called slaves or treated like slaves, they should leave the village. He said if they insist on staying in the village, they either accept to be called or treated like slaves or they (the nobles) will force them to accept and be treated like slaves.
Persecutions
The so-called slaves took the matter to the police for their intervention about the threats made against them by the Alkalo (Village Head). The police called them (the so-called nobles) and advised them to desist from maltreating the so-called slaves who refused to be called slaves. The so-called nobles were angry about this and went back to the police station and informed them that the so-called slaves went to the mosque and insulted the Imam of the Mosque which led to the arrest of 9 people from the Gambana Community (the so-called slaves) including the PRO. They were detained at the Fatoto Police Station for 6 days and moved to the Jangjanbureh prison in Jangjanbureh where they were locked up without trial for one month. The so-called slaves hired the services of a lawyer who helped secure their release from prison.
According to the Gambana Community in Koina, Alajie Sulayman Camara, an elder in the community said the fight to free themselves and their generations yet unborn from caste and descent-based slavery is a never-ending fight. He said among the persecutions against them are isolating and banning them from social and developmental activities concerning the village. He said they all contributed to building the village mosque, but the so-called nobles started harassing and beating them inside the mosque and tied one of their sons with a rope after beating him. They did a video recording of the man being tied and it went viral on social media to an extent, the man's wife divorced him because she said she could not withstand the shame of being married to a man who had been beaten, tied up and videoed.
He said for peace to reign, they surrendered the village Mosque to them and they contributed over 8 million Dalasi and built a new mosque for their Community. He said they also kicked out their children from the village Arabic Schools and they had to build their schools to be attended by their children.
When the so-called nobles saw that they (so-called slaves didn’t budge), they attacked their source of livelihood by seizing the lands they had been farming on for decades claiming that it belonged to them.
Musa Sanneh, a Gambana Elder said, the so-called nobles created a vigilante group with the target of burning 7 compounds but they were able to burn only 3 compounds in the Gambana Community of Koina. The arson was reported by the Gambana Community to the Police but when the police arrived they arrested the perpetrators and victims as well. He said 24 people were arrested 18 from the so-called nobles and 7 from the Gambana Community, the so-called slaves.
Marriage and Relationships
To the so-called Nobles, the women of the so-called slaves are not good for marriage but they can date them and even have kids with them out of wedlock. The so-called nobles can even kill their children if they want to defy them by marrying into the so-called slave caste. There was one case that took place, but the marriage happened in a Cadi Court in Bundung. The couples are still married and have children together but they are not residing in the village.
Access to Government and Justice
The Gambana community expressed their disappointment and displeasure with the Government of the Gambia's failure to address the violence meted out to them by the so-called nobles. They said even their National Member in Parliament refused to represent their interest and bring forth their issues before lawmakers. They said they still have pending courts cases before the courts because Justice is very slow. They said the only institution that hears them out is the National Human Rights Commission of the Gambia.
GFoD Delegates
Paul Divakar, the convener, of the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent hails the community for their resilience and commitment to denounce and end caste and descent-based slavery in their Communities. He assured them of GFoD’s Commitment to work with Gambana on the International Stage and in the Gambia to help address their issues and possibly put pressure on actors, and stakeholders including the Government to protect and advance the course of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent.
Paul Divakar, the convener, of the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent hails the community for their resilience and commitment to denounce and end caste and descent-based slavery in their Communities. He assured them of GFoD’s Commitment to work with Gambana on the International Stage and in the Gambia to help address their issues and possibly put pressure on actors, and stakeholders including the Government to protect and advance the course of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent.
Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) is a platform to voice the rights and entitlements of communities across all the continents, especially in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America discriminated against work and descent. GFoD aims for the full realization of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent and to ensure access to sustainable development goals(SDGs). GFoD was founded in 2019 and formally recognizes the core motto of ‘Leave No One Behind’ propounded by “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, which ensures Planet, Peace, and Prosperity for all, especially those who are marginalized through generations and suffered social prejudices while aspiring for the life of dignity and peace.
Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent are some of the most excluded, segregated, and marginalized groups at the global, regional and local levels within their social, economic, political, and cultural systems. The consequences of this marginalization are unjust deprivation and systematic exclusion from social relationships and communication, education, health, access to water and sanitation, employment, voting rights, equal access to land and housing, and access to religious institutions in the public sphere. The types of social structures that have evolved and functioning for centuries have inflicted systemic violence on the DWD communities such as the Haratine in the Sahel; Forgeron in West Africa; Bantu in Sudan; Roma in Europe; Burakumin in Japan; Dalits (formerly known as ‘untouchables’) in South Asia; and Quilombo and Palenque in South America. The global coverage of DWD communities includes Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America regions with around 270 million people.
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