By Adama Makasuba
Former Gambian ambassador to Franc, Essa Bocar Sey has called for sweeping reforms in the country’s diplomatic missions, including downsizing, restructuring, and merging of embassies abroad to reduce operational costs.
Speaking to West Radio Coffee Time said The Gambia’s current diplomatic structure is becoming financially unsustainable for a small, tax-based economy.
“We need those kinds of austerity measures. Let them downsize, let them close some missions where necessary,” Sey stated.
He argued that diplomacy should no longer be treated as a status symbol, but as a result-driven service that delivers tangible national returns. “We don’t have natural resources to run around with. It’s services that can make us survive, and diplomacy is number one,” he said.
Mr Sey suggested that some embassies could be merged or given regional coverage responsibilities, stressing that efficiency should guide foreign service expansion rather than political or prestige considerations.
He further criticised what he described as underperforming diplomatic and consular structures, arguing that some missions cost the state heavily without producing measurable outcomes.
“When you are an ambassador, you are representing to bring something home. It must be proportional to what is being spent on you,” he noted.
Sey also called for performance-based diplomatic appointments, insisting that ambassadors and consuls should be assessed based on trade promotion, investment attraction, and international cooperation results.
He concluded that while reforms may be sensitive, they are necessary to ensure sustainability and efficiency in The Gambia’s foreign service
