These efforts, he said, affirm Gambia’s commitment and responsibility toward global peace and security while also fostering its cooperative and trustful relationships with the UN and other partners.
Minister Njie was speaking during a bilateral meeting with Major Gen. Cheryl Pearce, Military Adviser (MILAD) for United Nations Peacekeeping Operations on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the UNGA.
Present at the meeting was Ms. Binta Jeng, first secretary at The Gambian Permanent Mission of The Gambia to the UN.
Officials said the two sides discussed a range of global security issues, including Peacekeeping Operations. Both sides, they added, underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the world.
The retired Brigadier General thanked the United Nations and MILAD for the support and cooperation with the Gambia over the past 32 years in peacekeeping missions.
He further expressed The Gambia’s commitment and political support under the leadership of President Adama Barrow for peacekeeping to contribute to global peace and security.
Defence Minister Njie briefed the MILAD on the current co-deployment arrangements between The Gambia and Bangladesh following a high-level visit of the Gambian delegation to Bangladesh.
The visit, he explained, was led by the Foreign Minister Tangara, accompanied by the Minister for Defence and the CDS of the GAF in February 2023 where a Joint Political Declaration was signed to establish a Cooperation framework in the area of UN Peacekeeping Operation.
“Equally, an MOU was also signed with a view to establishing modalities for the co-deployment arrangements through engagements at the technical level.”
“This also followed in June 2023 the visit of the Bangladeshi delegation to The Gambia led by Chief of Army Staff, Gen. S.M. Shafiuddin Ahmed with two UN officials to conduct inspection of personnel and equipment on their state of readiness for deployment.”
“The Force Generation Service report on the remote Assessment and Advisory (AAV) visit was also discussed where the UN AAV team rated The Gambia’s visit very successful.”
“The status of Country-Owned-Equipment in terms of major sustenance for deployment as well as force generation where Gambia has prepared and adequately trained three (3) contingents for deployment was discussed.”
“MILAD promised that once the major sustenance as per the UN SUR is mobilized, The Gambia will be eligible to be raised to level 2 of the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System (PCRS),” he stated.
The MILAD, he added, applauded The Gambia for its commitment and contribution to the UN Peacekeeping mission and promised to support The Gambia and that her office will work closely with our Permanent Mission in New York to support the co-deployment initiative.
The meeting, he concluded, ended with both sides expressing high-level commitment to the co-deployment process.
