By Omar Sabally
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Brikama Area Council (BAC) in the West Coast Region, Mr. Modou Jonga, has opined that Gambians should endeavour to put The Gambia first, and choose unity over division.
The senior official of the Council made the exhortation while deputising for the Governor of West Coast Region, Mr. Bakary Sanyang, at a recent Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) consultative engagement with the region’s Chiefs, Alkalolu, Councillors, Youth representatives and Security Officers, on the on-going Security Sector Reform in The Gambia.
Jonga told consultative gathering that the ongoing Security Sector Reform (SSR) is vital to ensure an effective and accountable security sector under a democratic dispensation for the country.
The CEO believed the reform would ensure respect for human rights, rule of law, fundamental principles of good governance, a vibrant economy and democratic rule, as well as an inclusive development. He pointed out that the reform is important to West Coast Region, in particular, which is the largest and most populated region in the country.
CEO Jonga recalled that the WCR had also witnessed incidents of security treats in the past two years which include political, land disputes, natural resources, and religious issues, and therefore called on residents of the Region to be on the alert. Jonga further urged them to be willing to provide vital information in making the security sector reform a success.
Mr. Pansaw Nyassi, head of the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance in The Gambia,informed the regional gathering that, human rights violations have happened in the country which citizens are not pleased with, and that warranted the government to come up with the SSR.
The DCAF country boss indicated that the Security Sector Reform is to restore citizens’ confidence in the security sector-which is composed of Gambians-and ensure that the security sector operates in accordance with the laws of this country.
While calling on Gambians to safeguard the peace and stability of the country, Nyassi intimated that since 2018, DCAF has been supporting security sector reform in The Gambia through two projects funded by the EU and France, with an overarching goal to support a fully inclusive, coordinated SSR process with genuine civilian oversight.
Note: Security Sector Reform (SSR) is the political and technical process of improving state and human security by making security provision, management and oversight more effective and more accountable, within a framework of democratic civilian control, rule of law and respect for human rights. The goal of SSR is to apply the principles of good governance to the security sector.
