By Professor Dr Sufi Atif Amin Al Hussaini
It is with a profoundly heavy heart, yet an unyielding sense of moral responsibility, that I write this opinion piece. In the contemporary geopolitical ecosystem, national security is no longer threatened merely by conventional kinetic warfare; it is increasingly vulnerable to asymmetric information operations, digital sabotage, and character assassination engineered by non-state actors.
The Gambia, having historically transitioned from a painful 22-year era of military dictatorship to a constitutional democracy, stands as a beacon of institutional reformation in West Africa. At the heart of this successful democratic consolidation has been the complete professionalisation of the Gambia Armed Forces (Gaf).
This article provides a rigorous, objective evaluation of the strategic contributions of Lt General MO Cham, former chief of defence staff, while deconstructing the orchestrated digital smear campaigns designed to destabilise civil-military relations, sabotage state security partnerships, and undermine the institutional gains achieved under his command.
Milestones in bilateral defense cooperation and capacity building
During his distinguished tenure as both deputy chief of defence staff and subsequently as CDS, Lt General Cham prioritised institutional modernisation over insular administrative governance. The most profound metric of this commitment was realised through bilateral defence diplomacy with Turkey.
Under his direct coordination, more than 500 personnel of the Gaf travelled to Turkey for comprehensive, fully-funded technical and tactical military training. This marked the first instance in the sovereign history of The Gambia that such an unprecedentedly large cohort of military personnel received high-tier international training at zero cost to the national treasury, significantly upgrading the defense readiness and intellectual capacity of the Gaf.
Preservation of absolute military neutrality during democratic elections
A primary indicator of a professional military is its rigid insulation from domestic political processes. Under the leadership of Gen Cham, Gaf demonstrated flawless adherence to constitutional ethics across three successive, highly sensitive democratic exercises: the 2021 presidential election; the 2022 legislative elections; and the 2022 local government elections.
Throughout these critical cycles, the armed forces remained strictly neutral within their barracks or designated security perimetres, deliberately allowing civilian institutions to conduct the electoral process and reaffirming the absolute supremacy of civilian democratic rule.
Gaf as a sub-regional bulwark against democratic backsliding
The true strategic value of General Cham’s constitutional philosophy must be contextualised within the broader West African sub-region. Over the last several years, Ecowas region has faced a severe “coup contagion,” characterised by successful military takeovers in Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
In sharp contrast to this regional instability, the Gambian military command held firmly to its professional code of conduct. This institutional discipline was put to the ultimate test when a small, internal rogue faction attempted a coup plot. Under the decisive command of the leadership, Gaf did not exploit the friction to seize power; instead, they immediately arrested the disruptive elements and hand-delivered them to the civilian judiciary for open prosecution. This historic action emphasised a structural submission to the rule of law.
Stability and continuity in the supreme command architecture
The institutional transition within the Gaf over the years reflects a deep respect for constitutional continuity. During the foundational tenure of Lt General Yankuba Drammeh as CDS and Major General MO Cham as Deputy CDS, the defence apparatus strongly supported and operated precisely within its legally defined boundaries.
Following the retirement of Gen Drammeh, the seamless promotion of Lt General Cham to CDS, with Major General Ousman Gomez stepping in as Deputy CDS, ensured that the state’s defence line remained unbroken, continuing to protect the sovereign territory while honoring the civilian administration.
The anatomy of orchestrated digital subversion
As the state approaches upcoming electoral cycles, certain external and domestic non-state actors have actively sought to weaken national security by driving a wedge between the civilian population and the military hierarchy. To achieve this, these actors have manipulated an internal, highly impressionable, below-average-minded peripheral individual to act as a vector for unverified, highly sensationalised personal allegations against the senior military leadership.
These allegations regarding personal security and administrative misconduct are completely baseless and intentionally malicious. If the accuser were a genuinely loyal and patriotic citizen, institutional protocol and national law dictate that such evidence should have been formally submitted to senior government oversight bodies or independent anti-corruption tribunals years ago. Waiting for more than a year to broadcast unverified, incomplete, and out-of-context digital snippets on social media platforms indicates a clear intent to blackmail the military command structure.
Financial and logistical anomalies of the key actor
A critical, highly disturbing intelligence and logistical anomaly undercuts the credibility of the primary accuser, former Sergeant Modou Saine. Records indicate that just a few months prior to launching these public attacks, Sergeant Saine successfully travelled to and toured multiple Schengen countries.
From an analytical standpoint, it is highly irregular for an active-duty or recently discharged lower-ranking sergeant to independently secure the extensive financial funding, international travel logistics, and highly restrictive Schengen visas required for such a tour. This reality strongly suggests that he has been financially backed, logistically sponsored, and intentionally deployed by foreign non-state actors as a proxy tool to compromise the territorial and psychological security of The Gambia at a politically sensitive time.
Structural sabotage of the national security partnership
The strategic objective of this coordinated character assassination is to fracture the highly unified, effective working partnership currently existing within the highest echelons of the state’s defense architecture: By targeting the apex of this hierarchy, the creators of this digital trolling campaign aimed to induce administrative paralysis, distract the state from genuine national security priorities, and derail the policy of placing the “right person for the right job.”
Weaponised timing and social media manipulation
The deliberate operational timing of this social media campaign further exposes its malicious intent. The allegations were systematically saturated across online gossip channels precisely when the nation was celebrating a major Islamic event and enjoying extended public holidays. This timing was specifically selected to capitalise on a captive, idle online audience, maximising social media propagation and trolling while formal government offices and institutional public relations channels were closed for the holidays.
The burden of proof under Commonwealth jurisprudence
The legal framework of The Gambia is structurally grounded in Commonwealth Common Law traditions. A fundamental maxim of this legal framework dictates that the burden of proof lies squarely upon the party making the assertion (ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat).
Furthermore, under standard legal scrutiny, an accuser who claims to have been a passive witness or an active participant in an allegedly illicit administrative activity for over a year — while completely free to speak, report, and utilise formal whistleblowing channels — must legally explain their prolonged complicity and silence before their sudden, digitally broadcasted testimony can be granted any legal validity.
The divine Islamic injunction against unverified sensationalism
Given that the vast majority of the Gambian population adheres to the faith of Islam, society is spiritually and ethically bound by strict theological mandates regarding the consumption of news. The Holy Qur’an explicitly warns believers against falling prey to unverified rumours or blind character assassination:
“O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful.” — Surah Al-Hujurat [49:6]
Islamic jurisprudence strictly forbids the lay public from acting as judge and jury based on incomplete digital gossip. It commands that any grievances or administrative disputes must be brought quietly and with absolute proof before the proper authorities, rather than being thrown into the public domain to induce societal discord (fitnah).
Forging alliances: The unprecedented defence alliance with Turkey
This bilateral brotherhood yielded substantial material support on two separate historic occasions. Recognising the multidimensional role of a modern military, Turkey dispatched critical assets to The Gambia, including robust military vehicles to strengthen operational readiness and advanced agricultural equipment to support the armed forces’ internal sustainability initiatives. The deep mutual respect between the two nations culminated in a beautiful display of solidarity during the Gambian Independence Day celebrations. Turkey sent a high-level delegation accompanied by their own prestigious military band members, who participated directly in the ceremonies, honoring the Gambian people through their unique musical traditions and cementing an enduring bond of international fraternity.
Win-win technological and cybersecurity cooperation with Pakistan
In tandem with his efforts in the Euro-Asian corridor, General Cham leveraged his defencse diplomacy to build enduring bridges with Pakistan. Recognising that modern security challenges extend far beyond conventional borders, he focused heavily on institutional capacity building and specialised knowledge transfer. His diplomatic approach was rooted in creating genuine partnership frameworks that respected the sovereignty and mutual strategic interests of both nations.
Through his dedicated engagements, General Cham successfully drew the attention of high-level stakeholders within the Pakistani defence sector. This culminated in the arrival of a prestigious delegation from the Ministry of Defence Production of Pakistan to The Gambia. The historic visit established a sophisticated, win-win collaboration framework explicitly designed to fortify the Gaf against emerging digital threats. By securing comprehensive frameworks for cyber security cooperation, General Cham ensured that the Gaf was structurally and technologically equipped to navigate the complexities of the modern digital landscape with resilience and sovereign authority.
Embracing humility on the long journey of national service
True leadership is defined by the silent sacrifices made away from the public eye. During his tenure as CDS and Deputy CDS, General Cham undertook two vital, high-level official working visits to Pakistan to secure these critical defense frameworks. Though he possessed the absolute institutional right to travel in the comfort of business class, a standard protocol for military leadership handling sensitive international missions — the general chose a path of profound personal humility and fiscal prudence.
For both of these grueling, long-distance international journeys, he consciously chose to travel in economy class. This deliberate decision was driven by a clear personal priority: a refusal to expend precious government funds on personal luxuries when those resources could be better directed toward the welfare of the state and the development of the armed forces. By enduring the physical demands of long-haul economy travel for the sake of his country, General Cham set an extraordinary example of integrity, demonstrating that true authority is derived from humility, self-discipline, and an unwavering devotion to safeguarding the public trust.
Protecting civil-military harmony through dignified voluntary resignation
Regrettably, despite a career defined by unblemished excellence and legendary service, this humble leader became the target of ungrounded, unethical trolling orchestrated by certain non-state actors and their digital agents. The primary objective of these malicious campaigns was to engineer a hostile “hate space” and sow seeds of division between the democratically elected civil government and the military high command. Recognising the danger that such artificial friction posed to national stability, General Cham responded not with personal malice, but with a master class in dignified statesmanship.
In a bold and deeply honourable move, he chose to voluntarily resign from his position for the ultimate sake of the country. This profound act of selflessness completely disarmed his detractors; the non-state actors and their agents were left utterly disappointed and frustrated, as their extensive efforts to create long-term institutional chaos were instantly neutralised. By willingly stepping aside, General Cham placed the peace, security, and harmony of The Gambia far above his own position, completely dismantling the narrative of those who sought to destabilse the nation.
The sacred footprint of integrity in Dhul Hijjah
General Cham’s voluntary departure left a permanent, unshakeable footprint of leadership, authority, and immaculate integrity across the entire landscape of the Gambian state. It was highly symbolic that this ultimate act of patriotism took place during the holy month of Dhul Hijjah — a sacred time when the global Muslim community reflects deeply upon the profound spiritual values of devotion, obedience, and sacrifice. In a beautiful alignment of personal faith and national duty, General Cham provided a real-world, living example of sacrifice for his homeland, willingly giving up his high office to ensure the absolute safety and unity of his nation.
May Allah Almighty shower His infinite blessings, mercy, and protection upon this humble, legendary leader, granting him peace and success in all future endeavors. May Allah Almighty continuously bless the sovereign nation of The Gambia, and eternally protect and strengthen the brave men and women of the Gambia Armed Forces.
Disclaimer: As an active stakeholder, dedicated well-wisher of The Gambia, and committed peace promoter, I author this research article maintaining an entirely independent and neutral academic opinion. In accordance with my deep moral and religious principles, it is my absolute duty to speak with due respect, to stand firmly with victims of unjust character assassination, and to intellectually oppose the subversion of non-state actors and their hired agents. I possess absolutely no intention to violate any domestic laws of The Gambia or to improperly interfere in any sovereign administrative processes.
Atif Amin Al Hussaini describes himself as “Professor Dr Sufi senior academic, regional institutional analyst, and constitutional law observer”. He has been living in The Gambia for several years.
