The mission of the ECOWAS forces will stay in the Gambia for 6 months

ON THE MARGIN OF THE ECOWAS SUMMIT, MONDAY IN NIAMEY, PRESIDENT ADAMA BARROW ASKED THE REGIONAL ORGANIZATION TO EXTEND ITS MISSION IN THE GAMBIA,

“TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE CURRENT REFORMS AND THE NEED TO PROTECT THE FRAGILE DEMOCRACY” .

RENEWED SEVERAL TIMES, THIS MISSION JUST BEEN EXTENDED BY SIX MONTHS, THE GAMBIAN NATIONAL TELEVISION REPORTED Yesterday.

THE ECOWAS MISSION IN THE GAMBIA (MICEGA, ECOMIG IN ENGLISH) INTERVENED IN THE COUNTRY FOLLOWING THE FALL OF JAMMEH TO SECURE THE TRANSITION. IT IS MADE UP OF A THOUSAND SOLDIERS FROM THREE COUNTRIES: SENEGAL, GHANA AND NIGERIA.

THE MANDATE OF THE MISSION OF ECOWAS FORCES IN THE GAMBIA (MICEGA), ON GAMBIAN SOIL SINCE JANUARY 2017 HAD EXPIRED SINCE LAST JUNE. THIS IS BEING EXTENDED FOR SIX MONTHS FOLLOWING THE 57TH EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT OF THE SUB-REGIONAL ORGANIZATION HELD IN NIAMEY LAST MONDAY.

SPEAKING TO HIS PEERS, PRESIDENT BARROW ADVISED FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE LEASE OF THE WEST AFRICAN MISSION IN HIS COUNTRY FOR I CITE “PROTECTING FRAGILE DEMOCRACY”.

DURING HIS SPEECH, THE PRESIDENT OF THE GAMBIAN WELCOME THAT SECURITY SECTOR REFORM IS “AT AN ADVANCED STAGE” AND THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME, “AN AUDIT EXERCISE HAS BEEN CONDUCTED IN THE ARMY”.

HOWEVER, “A SERIES OF UNCERTAINTIES, ESPECIALLY THE ARMY’S WORKFORCE AND THE PROFILE OF ITS MEMBERS,

DISARMAMENT AND REINTEGRATION ISSUES REMAIN COMPLEX TO ADDRESS”, EMPHASIZED PRESIDENT BARROW BEFORE ASKING FOR PARTNERS ‘SUPPORT TO SAY “CARRY OUT THE PROCESS”. BELIEVING THAT THE PRESENCE OF ECOMIG IS A FACTOR OF STABILIZATION, HE ADVISED FOR ITS CONTAINMENT UNTIL THE END OF THE CURRENT TRANSITION.

60% OF FAVORABLE GAMBIANS STARTING FROM THE MISSION

IF HIS MANDATE IS EXTENDED IN THE GAMBIA, THE PRESENCE OF REGIONAL FORCES FOR NEARLY 4 YEARS NOW IS FAR FROM UNANIMOUSLY WITHIN THE OPINION AND THE ARMY ITSELF. PRESIDENT BARROW IS ALSO VERY CRITICAL FOR THE SLOWS OBSERVED IN SECURITY SECTOR REFORM.
ACCORDING TO OUR SOURCES,

THE NATIONAL ARMY ALWAYS DIGESTS ITSELF FROM THE SECURITY OF INSTITUTIONS VERY BAD. TURNS OBSERVED HERE AND THERE IN THE ROWS OF THE TROOPS ARE ALSO OFTEN REPORTED IN THE LOCAL PRESS. PUBLIC OPINION IS NOT INSENSITIVE TO THIS PRESENCE EITHER.

A SURVEY REVEALED LAST YEAR THAT MORE THAN 60% OF GAMBIANS ARE IN FAVOR OF THE DEPARTURE OF SUBREGIONAL FORCES.
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Source ndaomedias