POLL: MAJORITY OF GAMBIANS SAY RELATIONS WITH SENEGAL IS ‘EXPLOITATIVE’
A new Centre for Policy, Research and Strategic Studies (CepRass) poll has found that a majority of Gambians now describe the country’s relationship with Senegal as exploitative rather than mutually beneficial.
The finding published yesterday marks a sharp turn in public sentiment toward Banjul’s closest neighbour and most important bilateral partner, with respondents citing trade imbalances, fishing access, security arrangements, and cross-border transport as the main flashpoints.
According to the poll, public perception of The Gambia’s relations with Senegal is largely characterised by scepticism, with a majority viewing the relationship as exploitative of The Gambia.
The poll added that nationally, 27% of respondents consider the relationship mutually beneficial, while 61% believe it is exploitative of The Gambia.
“Only 5% consider it exploitative of Senegal, while 7% are unaware. This indicates a strong perception of imbalance in bilateral relations.”
According to the findings, gender differences are evident with men viewing it as exploitative of The Gambia (68%) compared to women (55%).
When it comes to regional variation, the poll added, Banjul and Basse record relatively higher perceptions of mutual benefit at 43% and 42%, respectively, though nearly half still perceive the relationship as exploitative.
“In contrast, Kerewan records one of the highest perceptions of exploitation, with 70% of respondents indicating that the relationship is exploitative of The Gambia. Brikama and Kanifing also show strong scepticism, with 63% of respondents holding this view.”
It further stated that age patterns show that younger respondents (17–24) are slightly more optimistic, with 31% viewing the relationship as mutually beneficial, compared to 23–25% among older groups. However, across all age groups, the dominant perception remains that the relationship favours Senegal.
According to CepRass, overall, the findings suggest that public perception of relations with Senegal is largely negative, with concerns about fairness and reciprocity.
“This has important implications for regional integration and cross-border cooperation. Addressing these perceptions may require greater transparency, equitable agreements, and stronger communication of mutual benefits.”
Issuing Gambian IDs abroad
According to CepRass, respondents were asked whether they agreed with the statement: “Issuing Gambian ID cards to people outside the country increases the risk of giving ID cards to non-Gambians.”
On that wording, CepRass reported that 36% strongly agree, and 33% agree, while 15% disagree and 7% strongly disagree, 3% select neither, and 5% do not know.
In terms of regional disaggregation, agreement with the statement is highest in Banjul (77%), followed by Janjangbureh (73%), Brikama (72%), and Basse and Kuntaur (71% each).
It is lowest in Mansakonko (59%), where disagreement is comparatively high at 37%.
Overall, the finding is that a clear majority of respondents see overseas issuance of Gambian ID cards as risky: 69% agree that issuing ID cards outside the country increases the risk of giving ID cards to non-Gambians, while 22% disagree.
This, CepRass added, indicates strong public concern about the integrity of the process rather than approval of the practice.
Source: The Standard
