National Council for Civic Education (NCCE) has Monday commenced a two-day engagement forum geared towards preserving cordial relations among stakeholders to maintain peace and security in post-2021 presidential election, at the NaNA conference hall in Kanifing.
The regional interface dialogue is meant for the security forces, youths, and other relevant stakeholders. Similar engagement fora were held in Basse, Janjangbureh, Kuntaur, Mansakonko, Kerewan, Brikama, Kanifing, and Banjul, respectively, according to NCCE.
This engagement is organized by NCCE, in collaboration with the NYC, and funded by UNFPA under the Peace-building Fund (PBF), aimed at building mutual relations, cordial harmony and fruitful partnership in terms of maintaining peace and security in the country.
Mr. Yusupha Bojang, Programme Manager of NCCE, speaking at the forum, explained the engagement by NCCE was not the first of its kind, noting an earlier engagement was organized in the past, well before the 2021 presidential election and “this is a continuation of that”.
“Sometimes in June, well before the December 4th presidential election, we organized a big convergence where all stakeholders, multiple stakeholders converged to discuss and identify some of the peace and security challenges as we journeyed to the December 4th presidential election,” the Programme boss stated.
Bojang promised that at NCCE, they would continue to have such dialogues with sister forces, security agents and also with the civilian population. He said the participation of youths in this dialogue is very important simply because, usually, they are the frontliners when it comes to tensions; so they thought it important that they bring these frontliners to sit and face each other in a very calm and suitably environment.
The Programme Officer at NCCE, Mr. Ousman Bah, remarked, “This is a regional interface dialogue that is coming just after the presidential election. We are discussing national security and peace, and how do we put hands on desk to make sure that the peace of this country is maintained after the post-election”.
Mr. Essa Sanneh, the Regional Speaker of the National Youth Parliament, KM Branch, reminded his audience that peace is priceless.
“We have to come together as young people to foster the peace we have in the Gambia, because it is the foundation of national development,” he intimated.
Captain Dodou S. Jarju of Fajara Barracks, in his remarks, opined people should not see them (security officers) as law enforcers, reasoning “I think we are law managers because at any given point in time when there should be law enforcement” it means peace is at stake.
He charged that preaching and talking about peace, and encouraging peace in various communities are supposed to be everyone’s duty.
“I believe we will deliver to the expectation of Gambians without any fear or favour,” the military captain told the forum.
However, he challenged the youths and all participants at the forum to be peace advocates.
