That was the message from German Ambassador Klaus Botzet this week as Berlin renewed its pledge to support The Gambia’s Security Sector Reforms. His words cut to the heart of the transition: “The rule of law is the foundation of any democracy. The security services need to be bound by the rule of law and need to understand that their powers are limited by the law.”
It sounds simple. In our context, it is revolutionary.
We all witnessed that under the former regime, police and other forces were instruments of the presidency. Their job was to implement will, not statute. That legacy does not disappear because a new government is sworn in. It disappears when training, equipment, accountability, and public trust replace it.
Germany understood this early. Through two phases of the Gambia Police Support Team, (GPST), project, and provision of equipment to all four branches of the Gambia Police Force, Berlin has invested in changing both capacity and culture. The results are beginning to show. Last year the Gambia Police Force was named the best in West Africa by a South African institute in Stellenbosch. That is not just an award. It is evidence that reform, when properly resourced, works.
The launch of GPST Phase 2.0, a year after Phase 1 ended, signals that Germany sees this as a long game, not a one-off donation.
SSR is not about police alone. It is about democracy itself. Citizens who fear the police will never report crime. Businesses that fear arbitrary arrest will never invest. Youth who see security forces as partisan will never trust elections.
Botzet rightly linked SSR to broader democratic support: Germany’s backing for the TRRC, UN peacebuilding in victim communities, and the opening of a full German Embassy in Banjul in 2023. All of these say the same thing: The Gambia’s stability matters to the region, and to Germany.
The Ambassador’s point on sovereignty is also timely. “In a time when human rights and the sovereignty of small states are under threat,” he said, partnerships based on law and mutual respect are critical. The Gambia, with its seat on the UN Human Rights Council and free press, has a role to play — but only if its own house is in order.
Equipment and training are necessary, but not sufficient. Three gaps remain: as Botzet noted, 22 years of dictatorship must be unlearned in police academies and in daily practice. That means continuous training, vetting, and disciplinary mechanisms that are transparent.
Also, communities must see police as protectors, not predators.
Thus, we commend the Federal Republic of Germany for all the support extended to the country's security forces.