In Gambia, the government has voiced significant apprehension regarding the departure of some citizens who are reportedly seeking to engage in armed conflicts overseas. This concern has been amplified following media reports indicating that as many as 26 Gambians may have lost their lives on the Ukrainian front, a situation that the government did not officially acknowledge, remaining silent on specifics regarding Russia or Ukraine and refraining from discussing potential casualties among its nationals.

Human rights advocate Madi Jobarteh has highlighted the issue, urging the government to ensure the protection of Gambian nationals who have been recruited to fight in conflicts, particularly those in Russia. Jobarteh claims that the government's response appears to be reactive, triggered by the public discourse surrounding the media revelations, rather than a proactive approach to addressing the underlying issues that might be leading some citizens to seek perilous foreign engagements.

He points to socio-economic factors such as poverty, a lack of opportunities, and pervasive despair as contributors to the troubling trend of Gambians leaving their home country for conflict zones. Jobarteh's call for governmental action accentuates the necessity for a sustained dialogue on the welfare of Gambian citizens and emphasizes the need for strategies that offer meaningful alternatives to prevent individuals from resorting to such extreme measures.