By Tabora Bojang
The Gambian and Senegalese border security chiefs have signed a declaration committing them to facilitate and establish an effective cooperation that will uniformly address security challenges at their common borders to reduce the expansion of trans-national criminal networks.
The declaration was signed at a meeting between the Director General of the Gambia Immigration Department and Director General of air and border police of Senegal Seedy M Touray and Abdou Wahab Sal respectively, on the sidelines of a workshop on cross border cooperation and project organised by the International Organisation for Migration.
Both sides pledged to take immediate actions to tackle pining issues relating to documentation, closing and opening of border entry points, harmonisation of surveillance operations and border security and stabilisation with a view to elaborating measures to addressing migration management and free movement of people between the two countries.
It also entails recommendations to provide for the construction of a joint border structure to harmonise operations at some border locations including joint border surveillance coordination teaming.
The declaration also provided the two sides to hold consultations to ensure tolerance is applied for expired identification document used by people of the two countries while authorities of both countries adjust documentation needs of their respective citizens.
Seedy M Touray the Immigration Director, expressed delight over the cordial relationship that exists between his office and Police National of Senegal as friendly and yielding to the expectation of its leadership.
He said the event is meant to enhance and strengthen the existing cooperation between the Gambian and Senegalese authorities on border management and document best practices in identifying areas of mutual interest to deepen inter agency and regional cooperation in border management, security and stabilisation.
Abdou Wahab Sall the Director General of the police National Senegal expressed similar sentiment.
