FOUNDING DECLARATION

Poverty, youth unemployment and under‑development are not the destiny of the Gambian people, and hopelessness must never become the inheritance of our children.

Our country is blessed with fertile land, abundant waters, a youthful population, and enterprising citizens. We are not lacking in talent, ideas or ambition; we have simply failed to turn that potential into shared prosperity. The reality on the ground cannot be ignored. Families worry every day about food, transport and electricity; many salaries run out before the month ends and graduates cannot find meaningful work.

Our farmers lack the machinery, finance and markets they need, while a changing climate brings floods, coastal erosion and failing rains. Communities still grapple with inadequate water, health‑care, roads, drainage and affordable internet, leaving our youth locked out of the digital economy that is reshaping the rest of the world.

The Human Crisis

The most painful symptom of this failure is the “back way” – young Gambians boarding unsafe vessels for Europe. They do not leave because they hate their country; they leave because they see no future at home. Some vanish in deserts, some endure abuse, and many never return from the sea.

The Atlantic and the Mediterranean must not become graveyards for Gambian dreams.

True development is not measured by signed agreements or ceremonies, but by whether a mother can feed her family, a graduate can secure a job, a farmer can prosper, a patient can receive care and every Gambian can feel safe under the law.

The time to act is now. We cannot ask our youth to stay while giving them no reason to remain. Leaving must become a choice, not an escape. By confronting these challenges head‑on, we can transform our untapped potential into shared prosperity and give every Gambian a reason to build a future at home.

Therefore, We Declare:

• The formation of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) The Gambia as the primary vehicle for total economic emancipation.
• A categorical rejection of the politics of division, tribalism, and managed decline.
• A solemn commitment to a 10-year National Transformation Agenda that will industrialize our agriculture, secure our borders, protect our environment, and create 250,000 jobs.
• Our unwavering demand that national wealth be utilized for the benefit of the many, not the connected few.