(JollofNews) – Ambassador Alexander Laskaris, deputy to the Commander for Civil-Military Engagement, United States Africa Command (AfriComm) has announced that the US is committed to supporting the Gambia’s Security Sector Reform program.
During a closed-door meeting with His Excellency President Adama Barrow at the State House in Banjul on Wednesday morning, the one time US Ambassador to Guinea Conakry and Deputy Consul to Liberia, Ambassador Laskaris, said they have formally re-established relations with The Gambia Armed Forces and the government with the hope of progressing the security reforms agenda.
“It is our belief that the military should be a highly professional force that does not have to engage in politics or any civilian matters. We will be working in rebuilding the security forces of The Gambia and resuming our traditional relations with them in support of the democratically elected government of The Gambia,” Ambassador Laskaris said.
His Excellency President Adama Barrow welcomed the commitment of the US Military to support the security sector reform of his government.
Ambassador Laskaris and delegation were accompanied to the presidency by the US Ambassador to The Gambia, H.E. Patricia Alsup, and members of the Embassy staff.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Alsup described security as important to Gambia’s development and expressed delight that the President agreed to a meeting despite busy schedules.
We are appelling to the politician not to make the Gambia country as an Armory of keeping weapons.
Nighter to use tax payers money to buy the evil weapons, which where ever they are stored ;must call for violence one day or anotjer
Gambia of course needs her own military defence systems but nonetheless, gestures to reestablish any other relations with the U.S at this point in time, apart from diplomatic, should all be in the waiting list until the U.S’s own democracy is restored back from its nose dive crash.
Gambia should be cautious of what type of governments it is dealing with. The country’s foreign policies shouldn’t simply be aimed at attracting foreign aid and risky military collaborations from countries whose leaders are doing all their best in escalating hatred and unrest across horizons. Gambia and Africa in general shouldn’t be a tool for no one’s “hatehole”. Gambia is a trying democracy and for that being the case needs no failed democracies as counterparts.
Why will US establish military relationship with The Gambia ?
What is in it for US?
What is in it for The Gambia?
What are the risks and benefits?
I am not going to go into complex dynamic geopolitical relationship, just basic “common sense” discussion any citizen can understand and relate to.
First it is important to understand that Gambia is broke and militarily inconsequential. Our GAF cannot deter any force from outside our shores that threaten us. End of discussion. As we speak we do not have a military. What we have is a group of armed thugs that consume huge portions of our meager resources.
Next question. Can we benefit from protection from external threats. Yes we can. It is unlikely, but may become necessary.
What will US gain. Control. Control of movement of drugs and small arms to combat terrorism and small arms proliferation. From Gambia the US have a clear view of North and West Africa. At a very tiny cost, I might add. Why a tiny cost, Gambia is in no position to negotiate. We are weak.
Make the long story short.
It will benefit both countries. Gambia economically and security. The US, smart power play. Those who do not have understanding of the genesis of conflict and globalization of terror will not understand the strategic advantage for us in the long run, but who cares.
Mr Barrow, I don’t know how you stumbled on this, but it is a win win. Now you can do what is needful. Dismantle the GAF and charge the US to develop and train a professional police, immigration and coastal protection force. Well done.
The shallow belief that U.S can control the movement of drugs and small arms to combat terrorism is completely baseless and delusive. If they could control the movement of drugs from; I don’t know where, on our coasts or in the region, they would have by now curbed the drug wars on their own territory, i.e, New York, Chigcago, L.A , Miam … just to mention a few. And, if they could control small arms to combat terrorism, their rifles and mortar shells wouldn’t have fallen in the hands of Isil fighters in the middle east. And, if they could control small arms movement with their presence in Niger and Mali, those areas in the region would not have become the new recruitment hot spots for extremist fighters.
In fact, why didn’t they prevent the toppling of a democratically elected government in the Gambia on that dreadful July 22 when they had a warship already docked in our habours that is capable of a face off with the whole subregion?
I’m not also going to write any deluded literature on what America’s interest or Gambia’s are of these makings, but what I belief is that military collaboration of a “weak” and “tiny” country like the Gambia with U.S, and its present political dispensation is nothing but a loss loss loss for not just Barrows and his administration’s political guess works but also for the Gambia.
It’s for sure that Gambia left to some of its naive minded citizens, the weak and tiny country will be laid on a table for auction. Control, control, control …. like some are clearly out to hype for some kind of Freemasons.
“The genesis of conflict and the globalisation of terror”??? One thing is for sure about it. Those who don’t understand this global predicament are definitely NOT the evil perpetrators. Be rest assured!
What exactly does The Gambia wish to achieve by establishing (so called) military relationship with the US? Perhaps, we might be able to make sense of this relationship, if we can find the answers.
Personally, I think it is a huge mistake to allow the US any involvement in our National Security Matters or building our security forces.
The US, we know, has arrogated itself the right to change governments (regime change) around the world that are not subservient to Washington.
To allow such a government to have that sort of interaction with, and influence over, your security services is ill advised, at best.
President Barrow should be aware or be made aware that the US only sees competitors and adversaries around the world and he (Barrow) must not turn The Gambia into a tool of the US, particularly against fellow African States.
Gambia needs small size professional military units, well trained and very effective in all combat readiness.