22/04/2024
THE GAMBIA ARMED FORCES REFUTES ALLEGATIONS OF TRIBALISM AND POLITICAL INTERFERENCE IN THE RECENT PROMOTION OF SENIOR OFFICERS
1. The attention of the High Command of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) was drawn to an ill-informed and malicious publication by the social media platform, Open Gambia Platform (OG) with the headline, ‘A GROUP OF SENIOR GAMBIA ARMED FORCES OFFICERS (GAF) DECRIED POLITICAL INTERFERENCE IN THE PROMOTION OF MILITARY OFFICERS!’ which was published on Sunday 21 April 2024. The article purportedly contributed by ‘ANON’, states, amongst other issues, that it ‘received allegations of political interference and tribal favoritism in the promotion of military officers to the rank of Colonel in GAF from a group of senior officers’. The article went further to state that ‘the disgruntled GAF officers alleged that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Lieutenant General Mamat Cham with the Director General of the State Intelligence Services (SIS) Ousman Sowe and the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Honourable Seedy Njie, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defence and Security ... conspired to restructure the GAF by placing the Non-Jola and Mandinka Officers, whom they perceived as loyal to their political interest, in a strategic position within the Armed force in anticipation of the withdrawal of the ECOMIG Troops after the completion of their assignment when the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliations (TRRC) recommendations are concluded’.
2. It must be noted that these allegations are not only calculated narrations to soil the reputation of the GAF Command but irresponsible, preposterous, baseless and should not have warranted a dignified response from GAF. However, to avoid ill-informed and dangerous conclusions by well-meaning Gambians, we would kindly oblige and clarify a few issues on the ill-fated article by the social media platform. This is with a view to refute the allegations by unpatriotic, disgruntled and unscrupulous elements who wish to sow seeds of discord within the Armed Forces and the general public.
3. The GAF wishes to inform the general public that owing to the existence of ten (10) vacant positions within its structures which were supposed to be filled by senior officers at the rank of Colonel, a request was submitted to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for subsequent approval by the executive. Consequently, upon receipt of executive approval, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General Mamat OA Cham, constituted a Board/Committee to nominate officers eligible for promotion to the rank of Colonel in accordance with specific Terms of Reference (TOR). This was in line with the Security Sector Reform (SSR) and transformation of the institution since the dawn of the new political dispensation under the President and Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Armed Forces His Excellency Adama Barrow. It has to be re-iterated that promotions in the Armed Forces particularly for the rank of Colonel and above are a privilege and are usually highly competitive. After a comprehensive and exhaustive process by the Board, the Defence Headquarters, Gambia Armed Forces submitted a list of senior officers that were eligible for promotion to the rank of Colonel to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for onward transmission and approval of the President and C-in-C.
4. Therefore, the GAF High Command wishes to state that there was no interference, be it on political or ethnic lines in the process leading to or after the selection of the senior Officers for promotion as alleged by the ill-informed and malicious report. In fact, a close scrutiny of the names in the above list contradicts the assertion by the said baseless OG report that the promotion was informed by ethnic/tribal considerations. It must be reiterated that, since 2017, under the leadership of all previous and current Chiefs of Defence Staff, the respective Commands of GAF have consistently constituted Promotional Examination (PROMEX) Boards to oversee the promotion of Officers who are due for elevation to the next rank. All these PROMEX Boards, without exception, have been guided by strict and specific TORs, the TACOS, the GAF Promotion Policy (recently drafted) and other relevant administrative documents regarding promotions. Once they are constituted, no CDS has ever interfered either directly or indirectly with the deliberations and outcomes leading to the recommendations of the Boards that were convened under his directives.
5. Therefore, GAF condemns in the strongest terms the allegations of tribalism and/or political interference against the CDS and/or other personalities within and outside GAF as claimed in the ill-intentioned report by the social media platform. It is our conviction that such publications can only be with the sole aim of using the obnoxious tribal and ethnic card for ulterior motives. It is rather unfortunate that, in the twenty-first century some Gambians would be so myopic to judge each other based on parochial considerations such as ethnic or tribal lineage. The allegations in the said article are just the figment of the imagination of the author who is, apparently, either a coward or is not too proud of his identity and goes only by the sobriquet – ANON, whatever that means!
6. It must be emphasised that, since the dawn of the new dispensation in 2017, GAF has expended enormous resources and time to sensitize its Officers and soldiers/ratings as well as the general public against promoting vices such as tribal and ethnic sentiments/ identities within its ranks. Suffice it to state that GAF wishes to pride itself as the bastion of unity and the last line of national defence and unity. Accordingly, as an institution, GAF wishes to emphasise that it does not have a policy that classifies any of its personnel along ethnic, religious or partisan lines. Consequently, making such disturbing and baseless references to the outcome of an internal administrative process that is in line with international best practices could not only be described as divisive but callous and dangerous to say the least. Additionally, it is pertinent to clarify that, henceforth, postings, appointments and most importantly promotions in GAF would strictly be based on merit, commitment and competence, amongst other criteria. This is to ensure that GAF provides qualitative services in terms of human security to the citizenry in line with the ideals of the SSR. This is a vow that was taken by the new Command of the Armed Forces under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Mamat O Cham.
7. Our doors have always been opened for clarification and we are more than willing to provide further undisputable facts on this matter. To this end, GAF craves the indulgence of all patriotic Gambians to continue to insulate this national institution and its members from ethnic sentiments and politics – a commitment it has resolutely made since 2017 to date. Hence, persons with nefarious intentions must avoid attempts to infiltrate the GAF under any pretext to advance ulterior motives that are not in tandem with the lofty republican ideals of the Armed Forces.
Signed
LAMIN K SANYANG
Lieutenant Colonel
Director of Press and Public Relations
Gambia Armed Forces
22 April 2024
