UNESCO
Recognition
July 2025
Janjanbureh stands at a crossroads of history, memory, and renewal. The island’s inscription into UNESCO’s Network of Places of History and Memory Linked to Enslavement acknowledges its profound role in the story of the River Gambia and the wider Atlantic world. It honours not only the past, but the people who continue to preserve and interpret this heritage for future generations.
A formal celebration of the inscription will take place during the
Kankurang Festival, from 23–25 January 2026,
marking a new chapter in Janjanbureh’s cultural journey.
“This island, a place of remembrance of slavery and post-slavery, is located on the River Gambia… first a refuge for the Maroons and then a place where the ‘Liberated Africans’ settled.”
The Unesco inscription citation on Janjanbureh
This brief statement captures the heart of Janjanbureh’s identity. It is a place shaped by displacement and by return — a place where lives were torn apart,
and where new communities later emerged with strength and dignity.
A Global Network
Created by Jane Smith
Through this inscription, Janjanbureh joins a network of significant sites around the world connected to the history of enslavement. Among them are Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, Badagary in Nigeria, President Lincoln’s Cottage in Washington, the International African American Museum in Charleston, and Providence Island in Liberia.
The Network supports conservation, community development, shared educational programmes, and cultural exchange through city twinning.
It places Janjanbureh’s story in conversation with other places of memory across continents.
This recognition also extends visibility to cultural traditions rooted in the island,
including the annual Kankurang Festival.
How the Nomination Took Shape
The National Centre for Arts and Culture submitted the nomination earlier this year, strengthened by the Bicentenary commemoration and a renewed focus on historical research. That preparation uncovered important archival evidence, including the 1823 treaty in which the King of Niani ceded the island to Captain Alexander Grant on behalf of the British Crown.
For the NCAC’s Director General, Hassoum Ceesay, the inscription marks a vital recognition of Gambian history. It reinforces Janjanbureh’s role as a centre of memory, learning, and emancipation—an anchor point for understanding both the wounds and the resilience of the past.
This achievement reflects broad cooperation between the NCAC, the Tourism Board, the Chief of McCarthy, the Kankurang Festival Committee, the National Assembly Member for the area, and the people of Janjanbureh.
The Kankurang Connection
UNESCO’s engagement with the region is not new. The Kankurang Manding Initiatory Rite was inscribed as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008. At the centre of this tradition is the Kankurang figure — guardian, teacher, and custodian of community values.
The rite has guided generations through the transition to adulthood, conserving knowledge of healing plants, social responsibility, and cultural identity. Together, the island’s tangible heritage and the Kankurang’s living tradition form a cultural landscape of rare depth and continuity.
What This Means for Visitors
UNESCO recognition adds depth to every kind of journey into Janjanbureh.
For some visitors, the island’s history is the starting point; for others, it becomes a meaningful layer discovered along the way.
It speaks to Gambians and West Africans exploring their own regional heritage, to diaspora communities seeking connection, and to travellers who arrive for entirely different reasons —
and find themselves drawn into a story they didn’t expect.
Many visitors discover Janjanbureh while searching for sustainable and responsible tourism, or exploring community-based travel experiences that allow them to engage directly with local people.
Birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts come for the riverine ecosystems and the rare species that thrive here.
Backpackers and adventurers wander inland in search of something authentic and unpolished.
Even holidaymakers who begin their trip on the coast often find that Janjanbureh offers a refreshing shift from beach life — a chance to see The Gambia’s heart, not only its shoreline.
The guides of the island help bridge these different interests. Whether a visitor is here for nature, culture, history, or simple curiosity, the UNESCO recognition gives context to the island’s role in the world and enriches the experience of moving through its streets, festivals, and landscapes.
This inscription is a major milestone, advancing Janjanbureh’s
long-term path toward full UNESCO World Heritage status.
The journey continues through preservation, storytelling, and community pride —
all of which will be celebrated at the 2026 Kankurang Festival.