Hassoum Ceesay, Director General of the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and member of the demarcation task force, said the exercise is progressing steadily, with the NCAC playing a key role through its historical and archival expertise.
According to Ceesay, the joint team spent six weeks reaffirming colonial boundary pillars, taking geographical coordinates, and staking and implanting new pillars to make the international boundary clearer and more definite.
He said the exercise is intended to contribute to sustained peace, stability and good neighbourliness between the two countries.
Ceesay explained that records preserved in the NCAC archives indicate the Gambia-Senegal boundary was originally demarcated between 1889 and 1905, a 17-year process under British and French colonial administrations.
The unusual shape of The Gambia, he said, resulted from an agreement between the two powers under which Britain retained a corridor of about 10 kilometres on both the northern and southern sides of the River Gambia, while France retained the surrounding territory.
The initial demarcation did not involve permanent pillars. Instead, colonial authorities relied on natural and temporary landmarks, including large trees, ponds, ‘bolongs’ and footpaths.
However, the system proved unreliable as windstorms uprooted trees used as markers and ponds dried up, prompting the introduction of permanent concrete pillars between 1904 and 1905.
Ceesay noted that the current exercise is therefore not just about surveying and placing pillars, but also involves extensive documentation and historical verification.
At the end of the first phase, the Joint Gambia-Senegal Boundary Commission signed nine agreements covering various aspects of the exercise.
Every colonial pillar reaffirmed by the team will have a descriptive sheet, while newly implanted pillars will also be accompanied by detailed documentation, he said.
The agreements were signed by representatives of both countries and witnessed by the Permanent Senegal-Gambia Secretariat as well as experts from Ghana and Burkina Faso, a process designed to enhance transparency, technical credibility and acceptance of the work.
The agreements also include joint reports on densification points, coordinates and pillars, among other technical aspects.
Ceesay stressed the importance of carefully documenting the work, noting that all reports and agreements would be archived for posterity.
He said the involvement of experts from other countries was significant given Africa's experience with boundary disputes.
"In 1985, Burkina Faso and Mali fought a war over a boundary dispute; Ghana and Togo almost did so recently, so they know what is at stake," he noted.
The exercise represents not only a technical effort to clarify the border but also an initiative aimed at strengthening peaceful relations and preventing future misunderstandings along the shared border.
With the first phase completed, the joint team is expected to continue the demarcation as part of broader efforts to establish a clearer, properly documented and mutually accepted boundary.
