By Tabora Bojang
As part of a comprehensive strategic military assistance, the Gambia Armed Forces has been given eleven slots in a military training course in China.
The announcement came in the wake Chief of Defence
Staff, Lieutenant General Masanneh N Kinteh’s recent visit to China where he attended a high level Africa- China Defence and security convergence organised by the International College of Defence Studies of the National Defence University.
According to GAF, the 11 soldiers to benefit from the military course are drawn from different ranks, adding that GAF had secured contract with China’s state-owned military cooperatives to enhance the supply of military logistics for GAF.
It has also been revealed that the first beneficiaries of “this important milestone development will depart the Gambia in September. During his stay in Beijing, the CDS also met with the Gambian ambassador and had discussions, key amongst which was the plan to deploy a Defence Attaché to coordinate the Gambia’s Defence cooperation with China.”
Meanwhile two serving members of the Gambia Armed Forces who died recently of natural causes were buried in their native villages in Baddibu and Foni, respectively.
Lance corporal Bakary Danso, who was among the 208 Gambian soldiers at the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur, was laid to rest yesterday afternoon at his home village in Chogen Baddibu. Private Saikou Bojang who died on Sunday, was also laid to rest at his native village Foni Bullock, according to Army sources.
