Major
General François Ndiaye, Commander of the ECOWAS Mission to The Gambia, called
ECOMIG, has said their stay in The Gambia depends on the security situation in
the country, adding that they will leave when the new head of state decides
that the security situation in the country is safe.
The
commander of ECOMIG, the Economic Community of West African States Military
Intervention in The Gambia, pointed out that they are actually not an
intervention force, not a peace-keeping or a peace enforcement mission, but are
just a mission out to provide maximum security and safety in the country.
He
said their mandate is to ensure the Gambian population and political leaders
are safe, but most importantly to ensure and create all conditions necessary
for the effective exercise of power of President Adama Barrow.
“Our
stay will depend on the security situation of The Gambia, but the new head of
state will decide on that,” he said, adding that they are in The Gambia for
peace.
He
thanked the Gambia Armed Forces and Gambian population for their warm welcome,
saying they have been received as brothers and sisters by the entire Gambian
population, and have not had any problem since they arrived.
He
went on to say that they are working together with the Chief of Defence Staff
to implement their mandate, adding that they will also work and interact with
all stakeholders, including Gambian security and defence forces in ensuring the
process is not derailed, as the ECOWAS mission is in the country to work
peacefully with all forces in the country.
He
further thanked CDS Ousman Badgie and the Gambia Armed Forces for maintaining
that they would not fight, saying if they had agreed to fight the situation
would have been different now.
“Gambian
solders have been republicans and patriotic, which made our work easy,” he
said, adding: “We are here to execute our mandate and return.”
Their
mandate was given by the ECOWAS leadership with the mission planned and decided
at ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja, and Senegal selected as the lead nation.
