By: The Fatu Network News Desk
The United Democratic Party (UDP) has issued a sharp warning to President Adama Barrow’s administration, accusing it of potentially hiding the true extent of The Gambia’s debt crisis in a manner reminiscent of former Senegalese President Macky Sall’s financial practices.
In a statement released by the party’s Administrative Secretary for Media and Communication, Tombong Saidy, the UDP drew attention to recent revelations by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which confirmed that Sall’s government deliberately concealed over $7 billion (CFA 3.9 trillion) in debt between 2019 and 2024. The move plunged Senegal into a financial crisis and forced the IMF to suspend its €1.8 billion aid programme.
The UDP, highlighting Sall’s close political alliance with Barrow, raised what it described as a “disturbing question” for Gambians: whether President Barrow has adopted similar tactics in managing Gambia’s public finances.
According to the UDP, since assuming office in 2017, the Barrow government has contracted “billions of dalasis in loans and grants,” yet ordinary Gambians have seen little in terms of tangible development. The statement pointed to unfinished roads, poorly equipped hospitals, underfunded schools, and an escalating cost of living, while criticising what it called “rampant corruption, wasteful spending, and a culture of impunity at the highest levels of government.”
The party argued that it is becoming increasingly evident that Barrow’s government “may be hiding the true extent of The Gambia’s debt crisis,” much like Sall’s administration in Senegal. The UDP said official figures on the country’s debt burden “do not reflect reality” and accused the government of pushing The Gambia deeper into dependency while “mortgaging the future of generations yet unborn.”
The UDP declared that “enough is enough,” insisting that Gambians will not allow the government to deceive them about the state of the economy. It demanded that President Barrow immediately publish a complete and independently verified report of all loans, debts, and grants secured since 2017. The party also called for a comprehensive forensic audit into the financial dealings of the government, particularly loans contracted under questionable terms.
The statement further urged international partners, including the IMF, World Bank, and EU, to subject The Gambia’s finances to the same level of scrutiny as Senegal’s, before “the truth is buried under layers of manipulation.” Finally, the UDP emphasised that any official found guilty of hiding or misusing public funds must face the full force of the law.
The UDP warned President Barrow that “the days of secrecy and deceit are over,” pledging that the party would continue to demand transparency “without fear or favour.”
The statement reflects escalating opposition criticism of the government’s handling of the economy, particularly at a time when Gambians are grappling with rising prices and questions about the effectiveness of foreign loans and grants. With Senegal’s debt scandal providing a fresh reference point, the UDP’s intervention ties Barrow’s financial management directly to regional concerns over transparency and accountability.
The Barrow administration has yet to respond to the UDP’s allegations.
