Momodou
Jonga, Chief Executive Officer of Brikama Area Council has said ‘we should
endeavor to put The Gambia first as well as endeavor to choose unity over
division’.
Mr.
Jonga made these remarks last Friday while deputising for the governor of West
Coast Region during Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF)
engagement with the region’s chiefs, alkalolu, councillors, youth
representatives and security officers on the on-going Security Sector Reform in
The Gambia.
According
to him, the ongoing Security Sector Reform is vital to ensuring an effective
and accountable security sector under a democratic dispensation for the
country.
He
added that the reform will ensure respect for human rights, rule of law,
fundamental principles of good governance, a vibrant economy and democratic
rule to an all 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.
He
admitted that the region has also witnessed incidents of security threats in
the past two years which include political, land disputes, natural resources,
and religious issues, and therefore called on West Coast Region residents to be
on the alert and be willing to provide vital information in making the security
sector reform a success.
Pansaw
Nyassi, Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance country head for The
Gambia, said human right violations happened in the country for which citizens
were displeased and thus warranted the government to come up with the Security
Sector Reform.
He
added that the Security Sector Reform is to not only restore Gambians’
confidence in the security sector but also ensure the security sector operates
in accordance with the laws of the country.
Mr.
Nyassi also called on Gambians to safeguard the peace and stability of the
country.
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.
It
could be recalled that 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.
