By Fatou Sowe
The Joint UN, AU and ECOWAS Security Sector Reform Technical Assessment Team paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Defence, Honourable Sering Modou Njie in his office at the Ministry in Banjul. The Team was accompanied to the Ministry by the UNDP Resident Representative to The Gambia, Ms Aisata De.
Speaking on the occasion, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, Mrs Rohie Bittaye Darboe welcomed the SSR Technical Assessment Team to the Ministry on behalf of the Honourable Minister of Defence.
Ms Aisata De, the UNDP Resident Representative to The Gambia affirmed that the SSR Technical Assessment Team was in The Gambia on a mission to identify the problems and challenges of the SSR and possible areas of support. She went on to assure the Hon. Minister, of UNDP’s unwavering support to the SSR process through its various interventions under the UN Peace Building Fund.
“Through the previous projects, technical support was provided to the government in policy and strategy formulation. These culminated in the development of the National Security Policy, the Security Sector Reform Strategy and the National Security Strategy, which were all successfully completed,” she reported.
The Minister expressed appreciation to the UNDP Permanent Representative and the SSR Technical Assessment Team for the visit. He went further to thank the SSR stakeholders particularly the international partners; such as the UN system, AU and ECOWAS for their unflinching support to the SSR process in The Gambia. He acknowledged them for standing resolutely by The Gambia at demanding times.
Hon. Njie furthered highlighted major challenges of both the Ministry of Defence and the Gambia Armed Forces in relation to the SSR.
Members of the SSR Technical Assessment Team took turns to seek clarifications on issues relating to the SSR and challenges of national ownership.
The outcome of the SSR Technical Assessment will provide a unique opportunity for SSR stakeholders to identify areas for possible intervention.