A few weeks ago, there was a report on the newspapers quoting the Commander of the ECOMIG Forces in The Gambia as saying that there are senior officers in the Gambia National Army who are hostile to the new Government and that they are still loyal to former president Yahya Jammeh.
This week it is being reported that some officers of the Gambia National Army have been arrested and that they are helping the investigators to get to the bottom of the suspected security threat.
Security is paramount and cannot be compromised. The importance of a secure and stable environment cannot be overemphasized. There must be a complete sense of security amongst the population to enable them go ahead with their work and daily activities with peace of mind. Development cannot take place in the absence of peace and security.
There is no doubt that some among the Army are sympathetic to the former president. We should have expected this and taken drastic and urgent measures to ensure that a proper screening and restructuring of the Army takes place immediately after the president took office. The Army should be thoroughly vetted and weeded to ensure that whoever has loyalty to anyone other than the Gambian State and its people should be discharged dishonorably.
If need be, let us invite the International Community and seek assistance from them. Security is a sensitive issue and should not be taken lightly. The Gambia is too small for a civil unrest and everything has to be done to make sure that it is avoided and that peace and security is maintained!
