By Omar Bah
The Public Relations Officer of the Gambia Armed Forces, Major Lamin K. Sanyang, has reiterated that the Army is firmly committed to avoiding another Jungler group among its members.
Junglers were the hit squad for ex-president Jammeh accused of many atrocities during his reign.
Major Sanyang further said the Gambian military would exhaust all measures to ensure that the rights and liberties of all Gambians are protected at all cost.
“There will be no repeat of the Junglers in the new dispensation.”
“We learned lessons in the past 22 years that we do not want to repeat in this new dispensation. Some of our members have been used and abused by the previous regime to commit lots of atrocities against their own people. That is why we want to enhance the capacity of the military on how to deal with civilians in a democratic dispensation,” he said.
Major Sanyang, who was speaking to journalists at the Joint Officers Mess on the sidelines of the civilian military relations training, intimated that the case of the ‘Junglers’ is clear indication that the military was abused by the former regime.
“We are trying to avoid the repeat of history. This is why we organized such trainings to train our men and civilians on how we should behavior in a democratic state. Because our constitution mandated us to protect civilians and guarantee human rights at all times,” he said.
On the training
Meanwhile, CDS Masanneh Kinteh, said the training that is bankrolled by the United States Office of Security Cooperation (OSC) in Dakar will enhance the capacity of members of the GAF in their day-to-day interactions and relationship with the civilian populace.
“It is also hoped that the training will help cement the already cordial relations between GAF and also increase the confidence of our personnel in the discharge of their constitutional mandate,” he added.
He continued: “My vision is to ensure that the Gambia Armed Forces is put on a better footing to be able to fulfill its constitutional mandate of protecting and preserving the territorial integrity of this country.”
“Since the advent of the third republic which was ushered in by the political impasse that followed the 1st December 2016 Presidential election, government has begun a reform and transformation crusade,” he added.
The aim of this transformation, he said, is to ensure that the country is redirected back on course towards the path of meaningful growth and development.
“The journey on this path may be rough or smooth depending on the approach and methodology adopted, on the one hand, by each and every Gambian; and on the other hand collectively by all of us. It is imperative that together, we see nothing other than The Gambia and her people,” he concluded.
