Expertise and Skills: National Peace Affairs, Problem Solving, Analysis, Threat Assessment, Institutional reforms & strengthening, Resources Mobilization, Regional security/International Relations/Affairs, Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Regional Security/Peace Architectures, National Security Policy/Management, Regional /International Organization, UN, AU, ECOWAS etc, Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Negotiations, Mediation, Representation, Natural Resources & Human Resources Management etc.
Permanent Secretary Positions Served: Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Fisheries, Deputy Permanent Secretary Office of the President
From 2017 when appointed Director General of the State Intelligence Service, undertook Mr. transformative reforms, restructuring and repositioning of the Service by embarking on the following:
o Expansion of coverage by introducing the National Security Belt Initiative (NASBI)
o Opened new Command Centers in Foni, Wuli, Baddibou and Nuimi to enhance visibility and coverage from Barra to Passamass and Kartong to Koina.
o Built new Command structures in WCR, CRR, URR and NBR
o Built the new SIS Academy for Security Studies
o Embarked on a robust capacity building of SIS staff in colleges and universities in the Gambia and around the world
o Refurbished and rehabilitated the SIS Headquarters and other regional Command structures across the country
o Improved relations with government, Local administration, Governors, District Chiefs, Media fraternity, religious homes, Civil Society Organizations and the general public
o Improved relations with Bilateral and Multilateral Partners in the region, on the continent and globally
o Chairperson of West African Regional Intelligence Services (CISSA) 2019 to 2023
Local Languages in addition to Passable French
o Mandinka
o Fula
o Wollof
o Jola.
o Some Sarahule
Academic Qualifications
o Masters in Diplomacy (Distinction), Sept 2013- June 6th 2014 (University of Malta)
o MA, International Politics and Security Studies (Bradford University, U.K 2001)
o BA, Development Studies and English (St. Mary’s University, Canada,1999)
o Conflict Prevention, Management & Resolution. (UK, 2001)
Travels/Conferences
Senegal Mauritania, , Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Turkey, Spain, France, , Malta, Holland, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Japan, Thailand, Turkey, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, USA, United Kingdom
International Representations, Meetings, Conferences, Trainings/Workshops/Certificates
o GOWAMER Chairman, Regional Steering Committee, Marine Resources Cape Verde, January 18 2017
o Third International Conference on Ecosystem Approach to the Management of e Marine Environment in West African Waters, 13th – 15th December, 2016, Dakar, Senegal
o 2ndUNECA Annual Workshop on International Negotiations under the theme “Building Africa’s Negotiating Capacity for Improved Terms of Engagement with the Rest of the World”, 5th – 9th December, 2016, Johannesburg, South Africa
o Delegate & Permanent Secretary accompanying the Vice President, Environment Minister and Gambia’s multi-sector delegations to the UN Climate Change COP 22, Marrakech, Morocco.
o Drafter at the COP 22 on the Marrakech Declaration on Security, Stability and Sustainability – Migration resulting from impacts of climate change
o Delegate Africa Union Extraordinary Summit on Maritime Security, Safety and Development in Africa October 11-15, Lome Togo
o Policy Dialogue on Monitoring Environment and Security in Africa – Kigali 19-20 September 2016
o Panelist at Stockholm Water Week, Speaking on Drought, Food Security, Climate Change, Migration and Implication for Policy and Conflict in Africa 1st Sept 2016
o Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) from 17 to 19 May 2016, Cairo, Egypt
o Head of Delegation to High Level Panel Discussion on Water, Peace and Security OMVG/OMVS Dakar on April 5-6, 2016.
o Head of Delegation at AU-Africa Risk Capacity COP 4, Droughts, Floods and Disasters, Addis Ababa Ethiopia 22-23 January 2016
o National Civilian Expert AU Extraordinary Meeting on Peace and Human Security, January 13-15 2016, Addis Ababa Ethiopia
o Administrative Head of Gambia Delegation to UNFCCC COP 21, Paris, France November 29 to 12th December 2015
o Head of Delegation to UNCCD COP 12, Ankara Turkey, 11-23 October 2015
o Training Workshop on Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) African Countries Entebbe, Uganda 23-24 September 2015,
o Negotiators Training in Bangkok, Thailand from 29-31 July 2015
o ECOWAS, CILSS, WAEMU Regional Preparatory Workshop on Negotiation on Climate Change in Preparation for the COP 21 in Paris, held in Abidjan 7th -9th May 2015
o ECOWAS Regional Training Workshop in Preparing INDC for the Paris COP 21 on Climate Change, Dakar Senegal, 14-16 April 2015
o Head of National Disaster Risk Reduction Committee to the UN Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan 14th – 18th March 2015
o Regional Steering Committee Meeting GOWAMER on Governance and Maritime Resources West Africa Nouakchott 26th-29th January 2015
o Head of Delegation to Extra Ordinary Session of Council of Ministers on Water and Sanitation, 23 February 2015 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
o Head of Delegation to Third Africa Risk Capacity (ARC) Conference of Parties 22-24 January 2015, Africa Union
o Change and Challenges in Southern Mediterranean – Civil Society, Dialogue, Media and Governance Malta, Dec 5-8, 2013
o Security Sector Reform in West Africa Abidjan 25-28, 2013
o ECOWAS-AU-UNDP Regional Consultations on “Building National Peace Infrastructures”, Accra, 09-11 Sept 2013
o Strategy Development, Johannesburg, South Africa March, 2013
o Human Rights Based Approach to Development, Uganda, March 2013
o Value Chain and Project Development, December, 2012
o High Value Fund Raising Training November, 2012
o Governance and Human Rights Based Approaches (August 2012)
o National Security Policy Management (Taiwan, 2008)
o Training Need Analysis – ECOWAS, KAIPTC Accra July 2005
o Analysis (Gambia, 1995, 1996, 2000)
o Crisis Management (2003 UN, Dakar)
o Basic French Language Certificate (Alliance Franco Gambienne), 2010
Academic and Conference Papers Written and Dissertations (Masters Theses)
o An Analysis of Conflict Prevention in Africa – The Africa Union’s Peace and Security Architecture (2014)
o The Challenges to Mediating in Africa’s Complex Conflicts – The cases of OAU, Mozambique and the Gambia (Cassamance Conflict) – M.A. Dissertation 2001
To be continued
