Gambian lawmakers on Monday rejected a bill that sought to repeal ban on female circumcision also known as female genital mutilation (FGM) after months of heated debates.  

The bill dubbed Women Amendment Act 2024 was tabled by Almamy Gibba, national assembly for Foni Kansala. 

Gambians have since been polarised over the bill after some renowned Muslim clerics joined a campaign to decriminalise laws that ban female circumcision.

However, parliament has voted to keep the ban as 32 national assembly members voted against the bill while 20 other lawmakers voted for it.

Dozens of the dissatisfied Gambians who have been campaigning for the bill to be passed to ensure a 2015 law that banned female circumcision is lifted, walked out of the parliament chambers cursing MPs who voted against the bill while saying “circumcise your girl child.”

Speaking to reporters shortly after parliament rejected the bill, Imam Abdoulie Fatty, a pro-FGM cleric who led a large group of supporters including imams and women, advised his followers to stay calm and return to their homes.

However, he criticised lawmakers who voted to keep the law in place while warning Gambian Muslims against voting those MPs in office in 2027.

“I am warning all Muslims against voting for these hypocritical 32 lawmakers who voted against the bill because if they are going to Hell you will go with them because they disputed the teaching of the prophet. They did their job, no problem. We will also do our job. We voted them in office and we will go to our people and we will not allow them to be colonised twice,” he said.

Imam Fakebba Ceesay, another staunch supporter of female circumcision added: “They want to torment 2.5 million Gambians to encourage prostitution in this country. If anyone is not circumcised they will end up committing prostitution. They want to make all of your prostitutes.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba