Yes, I felt I needed time to reflect on it. Having worked with the UN, I reached a level beyond that of an ambassador. We have to be realistic—I don’… - Fatoumata Tambajang

The success lies in having an independent mediator, respected by all political parties and with whom I have good relations. Gambia is a close-knit country, and through my professional life, both within and outside the UN, I've interacted with many of them. People here see me as a mother figure, recognizing that I have no political ambition beyond uniting them. My only agenda is The Gambia, without any political affiliation or interest. This neutrality, along with the respect and trust from political leaders, made it possible. No single person can claim responsibility for creating the coalition—it was supported by both the sub-region and the wider region. These key factors are what made it successful.

"The administration is progressing relatively well, especially given what we inherited. After 22 years of dictatorship, resources were drained by the dictator, his administration, and allies. When we assumed office, the coffers were empty, so we had to quickly secure budget support from partners like the EU, World Bank, the United Nations, and allies such as the US and the African Union.

No, I never had the intention to be foreign minister. His Excellency never offered me the position, and I never asked for it. I had no ambition for any particular role. My focus was on ensuring that he had a strong cabinet, and I supported him in that process. He consulted all the political leaders and offered positions to them. For me, political leaders are more important than any position. It's never been about the role itself. If it were about positions, I would have gone back to the UN or pursued another opportunity, as I have the qualifications. While I'm not perfect, I would have sought higher roles if it were about personal gain. Now, if positions didn't matter, why did I hold onto the vice president position for so long when I knew my age was a factor? Why didn't I step aside? I could have said, 'I've helped remove Jammeh, that's enough,' but I chose to stay, even though The Gambia was without a full-time vice president. It's good you asked. I've often consulted with the president about stepping down, suggesting that my ambition was to support him in any role other than vice president. I even suggested some names for the vice president role, and he is a living witness to this. But people don't fully understand me. The president told me that, as far as he and the country are concerned, I deserved to be vice president—not for personal reasons, but because of my background and experience. He said this when he swore me in. He didn't appoint me because I was the chair of the coalition. He chose me because of the trust, my expertise, and my contributions to the coalition.