When Jalyba Kouyateh's kora brings Gambia, Guinea and Senegal closer together

Culture, often described as the foundation of all development, remains a strategic lever for bringing people together. This reality was once again illustrated by the initiative of Guinean diplomat Fatima Barry, who placed cultural diplomacy at the heart of the celebrations of Guinea's Independence Day in The Gambia.

A true ambassador of Senegambian music, kora star Jalyba Kouyateh delivered a masterful performance before an audience of Gambian, Guinean, and Senegalese diplomats and cultural figures. The ceremony was attended by distinguished guests, including the Gambian Minister of Budget and Finance, Seedy Keita, the Director of the Africa Department at the Gambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lamine Faty, and several Senegalese dignitaries.

In a sub-regional context sometimes marked by the resurgence of xenophobic tensions, this event stood out as a powerful moment of appeasement and fraternity. By bringing these three sister nations together around the captivating sounds of her kora, Jalyba Kouyateh transformed the stage into a space for dialogue and convergence.

During his performance, the Gambian artist delivered a poignant message, paying a heartfelt tribute to General Mamadi Doumbouya and the entire Mandinka community. Jalyba Kouyateh called on African nations to unite: "It is time for our countries to come together to build a common destiny solely in the interest of our people ," he asserted.

The show concluded with a collective musical performance bringing together Guinean artists and the Gambian star, brilliantly celebrating the historical, age-old and cultural ties that unite the peoples descended from the ancient Mandé empire.