An audio clip by a woman attacking Salieu Jallow, an opposition candidate in the Saturday by-election in Half-Die ward in Banjul has gone viral on WhatsApp and social media platforms. 

The unidentified woman, believed to be a supporter of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), made derogatory ethnic remarks targeting Mr. Jallow of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), calling for him to be denied votes based on his ethnic background. 

Malagen has flagged the remarks as hate speech.

What’s the Context?

The by-election in Half-Die, a ward in the capital, Banjul, is scheduled for April 26, 2025. The seat became vacant after the incumbent, Momodou Bah, failed to return from an official trip to Europe in late 2024. 

This two-party contest is seen as a highly significant election that could mirror the direction of the forthcoming presidential elections next year. Two candidates are vying for the seat, one from the ruling National People’s Party and another from a former ruling party, the Progressive People’s Party.

Campaign activities have intensified in recent weeks. The United Democratic Party, the largest opposition party has thrown its weight behind Mr. Jallow. So has recently formed People’s Alliance Party (PAP) whose candidate withdrew at the eleventh hour. The campaign so far has been characterised by inflammatory rhetoric.

What Was Said?

Speaking in Wolof, the presumed NPP supporter, said:
“As salam alaikum Team Mbolo NPP. Greetings. I have to say this. I would apologise for the elders in the forum. But I want to say that what Ya Ida said is true and I agree with it because Peuls (Fulas) are ‘jangfakat’ (betrayers), Peuls are orr kat (betrayers). It is enough. We had given our vote to a Fula, and he betrayed us. If they want a place to contest, surely it is not in Half-Die. Let them go to Guinea and contest there, but not here in Half-Die. The Fula are betrayers. I’m sorry for these words, because of the elders in the forum…” 

Why This Is Hate Speech:

The woman’s comments are derogatory, xenophonic, discriminatory, and hateful. 

By calling for Mr. Jallow to be denied votes, she incites hatred and discrimination against him based on his ethnic background. She attacked the Fula ethnic group by the negative labelling of ‘betrayers’. And by telling Fulas to “go to Guinea” if they wish to contest elections, she implies that Fulas are foreigners, perpetuating a long-held stereotype that Fulas are not legitimate members of Gambian society. 

According to the United Nations, hate speech is defined as:  “Any kind of communication in speech, writing or behaviour, that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language concerning a person or group based on who they are, in other words, based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, gender or other identity factor.”

The UN says, “Generally, xenophobia implies discrimination based on the perception of the other as foreign or originating from outside a community or a nation.”

Recommendations:

1. Political parties, especially the NPP in this case, should establish a code of conduct on party campaigns and messages and enforce internal disciplinary measures to address hate speech and dangerous rhetoric by their supporters. 

2. Campaign teams should be trained and held accountable under clear codes of conduct. 
3. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) should also consider integrating a formal complaints and disciplinary framework into its election oversight mechanisms.
4. Furthermore, the IEC should strengthen its monitoring of political parties and their supporters to effectively enforce the Code of Campaign Ethics in the Election Decree.

About Malagen Media Monitoring:

Malagen’s media monitoring project tracks and counters misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and dangerous speech. We work to ensure that political discourse remains respectful, inclusive, and based on facts.

For more information on hate speech during elections, please read the report produced last year by Malagen with support from UNESCO, providing an in-depth analysis of hate speech covering the 2021-2023 electoral cycle. Supported by UNESCO, the Report is available on this Link

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