By: Alieu Jallow
Gambian migrant activist Yahya Sonko has expressed deep concern over what he calls President Adama Barrow’s silence on the rising deaths of young Gambians in the Mediterranean. As the president nears the final stretch of his nationwide tour, Sonko argues that the country needs more than speeches about development projects. He says it needs empathy, leadership and a clear national plan to confront a crisis that has claimed countless lives.
In an open message shared with The Fatu Network, Sonko writes “with a heavy heart, but with hope,” emphasising that while the president has highlighted his government’s achievements across communities, one painful reality remains unaddressed. According to him, the persistent loss of Gambian youth to irregular migration cannot continue to be absent from national conversations.
Sonko says traffickers and smugglers are exploiting weak laws and using Gambian waterways and coastlines to funnel desperate young people onto dangerous boats bound for Europe. “Every day, hundreds of young Gambians leave the country in desperation. This is not just a migration problem. It is a national tragedy,” he says.
He notes that nearly every village in The Gambia now counts victims of the Backway. Parents are grieving, families are shattered and communities are burdened with trauma that will last for generations. “Our riverbanks have become silent graveyards of dreams,” he warns.
Sonko is urging President Barrow to use the remaining days of his tour, especially in the densely populated Kombos, to acknowledge the grief many families carry and to offer a message of compassion and responsibility. He says even a simple gesture of empathy from the head of state would mean a great deal to those who have lost loved ones.
Beyond sympathy, Sonko outlines several actions he believes the government should take immediately. He calls for the Backway to be declared a national emergency, saying the president’s voice can help deter young people from risking their lives. He urges a tougher response to trafficking and smuggling, including stronger laws, dedicated anti trafficking units and community surveillance. He also calls for youth focused economic initiatives such as employment schemes, vocational training, entrepreneurship grants and agricultural programmes in communities most affected by irregular migration.
Sonko further appeals for the president to meet families affected by Backway deaths during the tour, saying their stories should help shape national policy. He believes community and religious leaders can play a major role in discouraging dangerous journeys and urges the government to create safe pathways for legal migration through partnerships with European and African countries.
Sonko warns that without decisive action, further tragedy is inevitable. “The country is losing hundreds of its future leaders every month. The youth are not statistics. They are our future,” he stresses.
As the president concludes his tour, Sonko says he hopes this moment becomes a turning point, one where leadership responds to a crisis that continues to claim the lives of some of The Gambia’s brightest young people.
By: Alieu Jallow Gambian migrant activist Yahya Sonko has expressed deep concern over what he calls President Adama Barrow’s silence on the rising deaths of young Gambians in the Mediterranean. As the president nears the final stretch of his nationwide tour, Sonko argues that the country needs more than speeches about development projects. He says The Fatu Network
