Why did the Senegambia confederation end in 1989?

The Senegambia confederation, a limited union between Senegal and The Gambia, was established in 1982 following an attempted coup in The Gambia that was suppressed with the assistance of Senegalese troops.12

While the agreement aimed to integrate military, security, and economic resources, the confederation was dissolved in 1989 primarily due to The Gambia’s growing concerns regarding its national autonomy. Although the two nations had agreed to coordinate foreign policies and establish joint institutions, the structural imbalance—in which the larger Senegal dominated the confederal presidency and parliament—contributed to the friction that ultimately led to the end of the union.12