His Excellency A.N.M Ousainu Darboe (also known as Lawyer Darboe) is the leader and Secretary General of the United Democratic Party (UDP), and former Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia. 

His father, the late Hon. Numukunda Darboe, was a member of parliament for Lower Fulladu West.

Born in 1948, in the village of Naini Dobo, Central River Region (CRR), Darboe attended Bansang Primary School before proceeding to St. Augustine High School and later Gambia High School in Banjul where he successfully completed his GCE O Level and A Level certificates respectively. He then left for Nigeria having won a commonwealth scholarship to study law. 

Darboe graduated from the University of Lagos with an honours degree in law (LLB Honours), and was called to the Federal Bar of Nigeria and subsequently to The Gambia Bar in 1973, after successfully completing the required training at the Federal Law School in Lagos. 

He also obtained a Master’s Degree in law (LLM), from the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Legal career

Upon his return to The Gambia in 1973, Darboe worked at the Attorney General’s Chambers; first as a state counsel, then as Acting Registrar-General and subsequently legal draftsman. He resigned in 1980 and went into private practice. 

As a private lawyer, Darboe defended many of the alleged coup plotters of 1981, including the late Sherriff Mustapha Dibba, the then leader of the opposition National Convention Party (NCP), and Pap Cheyassin Secka, a lawyer, both of whom were charged with treason. 

He also successfully represented majority of the people detained under the various Emergency Powers regulations promulgated by the then PPP government of ex-president Jawara, following the abortive coup in 1981. 

Darboe was a retained legal advisor for many leading private and public corporations including The Gambia’s telecommunications giant, Gamtel, the Continent Bank, the Gambia Public Transport Corporation, and Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation. 

He was well known for providing regular legal advice and representation to disadvantaged members of the society on pro bono basis. 

He served the Gambia Bar Association as vice president for several years and still remains a leading member of the Bar. 

His involvement in politics is seen by many as a big personal sacrifice, albeit a sacrifice himself considers worthy of making if democracy was to be restored in The Gambia. ‘Somebody has to do it’, he would say. 

Lawyer Darboe was also a member of The National Advisory Committee for the selection of judges to the International Court of Justice.

Political Career

Darboe entered politics in 1996, following the banning of all the major political parties of the first republic by the military junta that overthrew constitutional order in The Gambia in 1994, and having been chosen to lead the newly formed UDP. 

He took charge with dignity, resolve, and steadfastness to see the return of democracy and the rule of law in The Gambia, and has never looked back or wavered.

The succeeding two decades would prove to be both challenging and perilous. But this was a task Darboe was determined to see through, and indeed he saw it through.

Imprisonment

In April 2016, Lawyer Darboe led a peaceful protest demanding the release of Ebrima Solo Sandeng (dead or alive). Mr Sandeng, who was the National Organising Secretary for the UDP, was arrested and killed while in state custody.

Darboe was arrested alongside several of his executive members and kept in solitary confinement at the Mile II State Prison for 8 months. 

His imprisonment excited strong resentment against ex-president Jammeh who lost the December 1, 2016 presidential elections. Darboe was released from prison on the 5th December 2016, following a court order.

Ministerial career

Darboe was appointed and sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs on February 1, 2017. The next day, he met with foreign diplomats accredited to The Gambia in an effort to rebuild bilateral relations and to restore the country’s lost image following 22yrs of dictatorial rule. 

The Gambia soon began to witness a thaw in bilateral and multi-lateral relations, particularly with the European Union (EU) and other development partners such as the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the African Development Bank (ADB).

The same week as Darboe’s swearing-in, the European Union confirmed that it would release to The Gambia €33Million in foreign aid that had been frozen in response to the deplorable human rights situation under the previous government. 

A further €225 million was announced on February 9, 2017, of which €75 million was allocated to addressing food insecurity, youth unemployment, and the poor condition of roads in the country.

Additional support targeting other development priorities in the country were subsequently delivered, bringing the total EU development assistance to The Gambia to €365 million by the last quarter of 2020 (EU, October 9, 2020).The World Bank, IMF, and the ADB also provided similar assistance.

In sum, Darboe’s initial outreach to the international community and to our development partners in particular, has brought tremendous benefits to the country, not only in terms of regaining their trust and confidence, but also in terms of attracting the necessary development assistance to the country. 

Other benefits include budget support, support for the maintenance of peace and security in The Gambia, as well as the political stabilisation of the country.

His tactful diplomatic offensive overseas also attracted debt relief for the country, as well as development projects, including the infrastructural projects in the Upper River Region (URR), and also the OIC projects.

Darboe was instrumental in mobilising international support for the coalition government’s development blueprint, the National Development Plan (NDP), culminating in the Brussels Donor Conference, which fetched a whopping $1.7Billion in pledges. 

Although many donors later reneged on their pledges when President Barrow’s lack of credibility became increasingly apparent, few hundreds of millions in US Dollars were nonetheless delivered to the Treasury to advance The Gambia’s development aspirations.

He is widely acclaimed for The Gambia’s return to the Commonwealth in 2018, which gave us the opportunity to be part of a mutually supportive community of sovereign nations, and to foster cooperation with major international players across the 54 member states. 

Membership of the Commonwealth also offers an opportunity to attract debt relief, support for climate change mitigation, and to gain access to technical assistance, capacity building, and scholarships, as well as access to over 80 NGOs that assist the Commonwealth in many different areas, including education and research, promoting social equality, and sports.

Darboe was appointed Vice President and Minister of Women’s Affairs on June 29, 2018, a position he served until March 15, 2019 when he was relieved along side with the two other UDP cabinet Ministers, thereby effectively ending his party’s participation in the coalition government.

Personal life

Former Vice President Darboe is married with two wives and several children. The eldest, Mariama, is a graduate of Tulane University in the United States, with a Master’s Degree in Public Health.

He is an ingrained philanthropist who likes to share, often discreetly, with the poor and the needy. Darboe is also an avid sports enthusiast who served as the First Vice President of The Gambia National Olympic and Sports Committee for several years, as well as Chairman of The Gambia Wrestling Federation.

By Suntu S. Daffeh

England, United Kingdom