Talib Bensouda has hit back at Minister Ahmad Bah after he declared at President Adama Barrow’s Farafenni rally that “The Gambia will never be Lebanon”, responding with a sarcastic reference to the geographical distance between the two countries.

Bah made the remark while speaking in the presence of President Barrow at the political gathering in Farafenni, where speeches focused on the country’s political future and the choices facing voters ahead of the presidential election.

Bensouda responded by questioning why Bah had chosen Lebanon as a comparison, pointing out that the two countries are located on different continents.

“Minister Ahmad Bah today in President Barrow’s presence at Farafenni states that Gambia will never be Lebanon,” Bensouda said.

“Lebanon is a country in Asia and Gambia is a country in Africa, so how could they ever be one country?” he added, ending his response.

Bensouda’s response appeared to mock Bah’s choice of Lebanon as a comparison, turning the minister’s political statement into a geographical point.

The exchange comes amid increasingly heated political rhetoric as parties and candidates step up their campaigns ahead of the December 5 presidential election.

Bah’s original comments were made during Barrow’s Farafenni event, where the minister warned supporters about what he portrayed as threats to the country’s political identity and leadership.

Bensouda, however, focused on the literal geographical comparison, using the fact that The Gambia is in West Africa while Lebanon is in Asia to challenge Bah’s wording.

His response was delivered in a light and sarcastic tone, with the winking emoji appearing to reinforce the humorous nature of his message.

While Bah’s statement was made in a political context, Bensouda’s response did not directly address the broader political argument behind the minister’s remarks.

By Adama Makasuba