Reclaiming the Homeland

Reclaiming the Homeland A Case Study of The Gambian Diaspora Jankeh Jobe International Relations Department of Global Political Studies Bachelor Programme – IR103L 15 credits Spring/2018 Supervisor: Michael Strange 1 Abstract This thesis seeks to analyse the role of the Gambian diaspora activists in Gambian politics particularly during the December 1st, 2016, Presidential election in which the long-time dictator Yahya Jammeh was defeated by the less experienced and known Adama Barrow. Despite an extensive mobilization effort over the past twenty-two years, spanning across continents, the fragile and disorganized Gambian diaspora has been unable to exert influence in Gambian politics due to unfavourable domestic conditions such as the unwillingness of the opposition to unite as well as state repression. However, the formation of coalition 2016 provided the diaspora activists an opportunity to engage effectively in mobilizing against the Jammeh regime through their online media platforms as well as financial contribution. By using a multi-level research design using interviews and document analyses, the thesis explores the mobilization strategies of the Gambian diaspora as means of influencing at both the homeland and international levels. Key Words. Diasporas, The Gambia, Influence, Social Movement, Framing, Political Mobilization. Word Count: 15203. 2 Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction ................................................................................................ 4 1.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Purpose and Relevance of the study .................................................................................... 6 1.2 The Research Question ....................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Structure of the thesis ......................................................................................................... 9 Chapter Two: Previous Research, Concepts, and Theories ................................................. 9 2.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Diaspora Defined .............................................................................................................. 10 2.1.1 Defining Diasporas in International Relations ..................................................................... 11 2.2 Diaspora in International Politics ....................................................................................... 16 2.3 Theoretical Framework: Diaspora as Social Movements ..................................................... 17 2.4 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 20 Chapter Three: Method and Research Design .......................................................................... 21 3.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 21 3.1 The Case Study ................................................................................................................. 22 3.3 Material / Data Collection ................................................................................................. 24 3.3.1 Semi-Structured Interviews ................................................................................................. 24 3.3.2 Secondary Data .................................................................................................................... 26 3.4 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................... 27 3.5 Challenges ........................................................................................................................ 27 3.6 Summary .......................................................................................................................... 28 Chapter Four: Reclaiming the Homeland: Analysis of The Mobilization Structure of The Gambian Diaspora .......................................................................................................... 28 4.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 28 4.1 Politics under Jammeh 1994-2016 ..................................................................................... 29 4.2 Framing Issues Around Human Rights and Democracy ....................................................... 33 4.3 Mobilizing against the regime ........................................................................................... 35 4.4 Conclusion: Reclaiming the Homeland ............................................................................... 39 5. Biblography ................................................................................................................ 43 3 Chapter One: Introduction 1.0 Introduction International Relations as a field of study has acknowledged the ever-expanding salience of non- state actors in international politics but studying diasporas as non-state actors is just burgeoning in political science (Koinova, 2010). Diasporas are now seen as an example of non-state actors who influence politics in diverse forms. The literature on the role and importance of the diasporas in International relations is becoming increasingly broader as they have the same features as other more studied non-state actors such as being transnational, autonomous and ability to exert their influence to impact political change (Koinova, 2010:149). Latha Varadarajan (2010) argues the diasporas have changed the “narrative of politics as usual”. Similarly, Fiona Adamson (2016) argues, that not only do diasporas challenge the traditional state system but they also form global identities that “transcend” them (Adamson, 2016:291). She further argues that “diasporas are omnipresent and part and parcel of everyday politics around the world (Adamson, 2016: 291). Similarly, Shain and Barth (2003:49) elaborated on the growing scholastic acknowledgment about the significance of the diasporas in “international behavior” in reference how diverse diasporas such as the Armenian, Chinese, Jewish, Iranian and Cuban among others have had a profound impact on international affairs in both positive and negative ways. As mobilized groups with a sense of identity, diasporas do play a significant role both in domestic and international politics. As far as local politics is concerned, they may influence both the internal policies of their homelands and host states regarding issues that are of interest to them. In the realm of international relations, they have the power to influence both national foreign policy decisions and the decisions of international organizations. Coban-Ozturk (2015) studied the influence and role of the diaspora using a constructivist approach to Turkish and Armenian relationship and concluded that the diaspora has a significant impact on both nations foreign policy and bilateral relations. The increasing involvement of the diaspora in both foreign and home politics has led to the diasporas receiving considerable attention from both policymakers and scholars around the world. Nations and policymakers (both public and private) can no longer ignore the importance 4 of the role that diasporas play in foreign relations, economic development and to both domestic and international relations. However, the role of diasporas in international relationships tends to be ignored or understudied regardless of the influential voices of diaspora organizations and their impact on national and international politics. In classical realism and neorealism state- dominated global system, diasporas remain to be seen as substantial political actors. However, “certain realist theorists have attempted to place diaspora within a realist analytic framework by considering it an extension of the homeland state whose role is to promote the homeland’s national interests” (Sheffer, 2006). This thesis uses social movement theory in an attempt to examine how diasporas engage in transnational politics by studying Gambian diaspora mobilization strategy. Using the Gambian diaspora in Europe and North America as a case study, the thesis seeks to understand the different mechanisms the Gambian diaspora used to mobilize Gambians and non-Gambians in their campaign to “restore democracy” in the Gambia. The interest in Gambian diaspora stemmed from two significant events and the role the diaspora played in them. The first event was the planned military takeover on December 30th 2014 by a group of Gambians, mostly ex- military officers based in the US and Germany and led by a Gambian-American property developer Cherno Njie. The attackers attempted to forcibly overthrow the government of Yayha Jammeh. The coup was thwarted by the State Guard Battalion of Gambia Armed Forces resulting in the death of four people. The dissidents that survived returned to the US where they were arrested and charged in the US under the Neutrality Act. This event not only positioned the Gambian diaspora as an active force in Gambian politics, but forced the US government to get involved by invoking the neutrality act that has not been used for a long time. The second event that informed my interest in the Gambian diaspora is

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