Prince Babucarr Sankanu has launched an attack on Jaha Dukureh, alleging her of misleading the international media that presidential ban on FGM results from her efforts.

Following the announcement of the ban, the US-based young Gambian anti-FGM campaigner and founder of youth-led anti FGM group, Safe Hands for Girls, took to Facebook to claim credit for the move.

She said: “Today I can say all of our efforts paid off. Thank you to my team for supporting me even when it seems impossible.”

She also told the Guardian Newspaper that the fight against FGM was something that was never brought to the attention of the Gambian leader.

“I’m really amazed that the president did this. I didn’t expect this in a million years. I’m just really proud of my country and I’m really, really happy,” she told the Guardian. “I think the president cared about the issue, it was just something that was never brought to his attention.

“The amazing thing is it’s election season. This could cost the president the election. He put women and girls first, this could negatively affect him, but this shows he cares more about women than losing people’s votes.”

Responding to Jaha’s claims, Sankanu said it is an insult to Gamcotrap and all others who were doing the work before she was born.

The film producer and journalist wrote on his Facebook page: “It is dishonest of Jaha to try to monopolize the credit as if the fight against FGM in The Gambia started with her.

“How can she just be telling lies that President Jammeh was not informed about FGM before she came around? This is an insult to GAMCOTRAP and all others who were doing the ground work before Jaha was born.”

He went further to reckon Dr Isatou Touray and Amie Bojang- Sissoho as the true triumphs. According to him, they patiently fought against FGM for decades without making noise.

Sankanu went on to disclose that he was actively involved in the anti-FGM campaign in the Upper River Region, where both he and Jaha hail from.

“With or without Jaha and President Jammeh, we have been succeeding in ending FGM in Gambia, one step a time (38 communities in my URR areas ended FGM in 2014 without Jaha and Jammeh).”

The former GRTS journalist vowed to write a rejoinder to the Guardian to set the record straight.