Dilemmas of Senegambian integration

Several attempts have been made to integrate The Gambia and Senegal into a Senegambian political union, but these efforts have been without success. The Senegalese authorities consistently pushed for a political union between the two states in spite of continued Gambian reluctance. The 1981 putsch in The Gambia and the significant role played by Senegalese forces to suppress it, however, changed the whole character of Senegambian relations. A confederal accord was "hastily" drawn up and ratified in that same year, and the Senegambia Confederation came into existence. The integrative process under the Confederation had been rather slow. Eight years after it was created, the Confederation had hardly moved in many crucial areas. It finally collapsed in September 1989; and it failed because it lacked legitimacy and President Jawara was coerced into reaching the confederal agreement with Senegalese authorities. Thus despite a common desire for African unity, propinquity, common socio-economic factors, the predominance of Islam, the use of Wollof as a lingua franca and political considerations, the Senegambian dream continues to fade. The bases of Senegambian integration and the extent to which the different colonial experiences have affected Senegalese and Gambian political elites' stances on Senegambian unity are discussed. The study also examines significant events in Senegal-Gambia relations to give insight into the dilemmas and prospects of Senegambian unity. It is concluded that the divergence of political elites' attitudes is a major impediment to the creation of a Senegambian nation-state.