An Analysis of Latent Factors Influencing Gambia-Senegal Relations beyond Colonial Dichotomy

Abstract

The Gambia and Senegal was ‘one people’ separated through the instrument of the 1889 Anglo-French convention which partitioned the people between Britain and France. In spite of the colonial dichotomy which portrayed the blood neighbours as different people, the two states at Independence still see themselves as one and have taken decisive steps to look and relate beyond the legacies of the colonial expedition. Although efforts to foster cooperation and continual friendly relations in terms of political union were threatened and eventually aborted by the colonial legacies because they could not fit into each other politically, partly due to different colonial administrative experience, and this has strained relations between them.  Nevertheless, being propelled by some latent factors, the two states still see the possibility and the prime need to forge friendly relations amidst the threatening colonial legacies. Hence, this paper looks into underlying forces and factors that continue to grease the friction between the two states, and help them to forge a common ground politically, socially, economically and otherwise amidst the beckoning challenges.

Keywords: Gambia-Senegal Relations, Colonial legacies, Border Conflict, Latent Factors, National Interest.

DOI: 10.7176/IAGS/75-05

Publication date: August 31^st 2019