By: Fatou Dahaba
Abdoulie Sanyang, Inspector General of The Gambia Police Force (GPF), said it was no secret that the police institution was neglected and misused by the former regime with total disregard for the system, procedures, and standards, leading to a myriad of abuses against the civilian population and the police itself.
IGP Sanyang made these remarks at the stakeholder consultation meeting on implementing support to review the draft national policing strategic plan 2024-2028 at a local hotel in Kololi.
The Police chief lamented that expanded bad practices under former President Yahya Jammeh had hugely undermined the bold foundation and principle of policing in the Gambia and ultimately culminated in deficiencies in the overall capacity, performance, and conduct of the police institution and its personnel.
“Gaps and challenges are in no small measures very demanding to overcome. Therefore, we need to move, redefine our priorities, and re-strategize to make solid and visible gains in the reform in general and GPF transformation in particular,” he explained.
IGP Sanyang continued to say his office has developed a 5-year policy plan capturing the priority objectives to promote a more systematic and focus-based approach to policing in fostering development in the Gambia.
He added: “We need to be committed to the highest impact in terms of police performance in service delivery and overall transformation.”
Abubakar Sulaiman Jeng, National Security Adviser, said three things are pertinent to the SSR process: government commitment, taking ownership, and stakeholder engagement.
He said from 2017 until he took over office, external partners primarily drove the reform process, and they have realized the need to have ownership of the process, that it should be homegrown, home-cultivated, and home-implemented.
“Most importantly, we should show commitment and realize the importance of SSR. Four things of importance in the SSR are communication, coordination, collaboration, and partnership,” the National Security Adviser stated.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jeng said as a security institution, they support and appreciate civilian oversight.
The policy document is a five strategic plan to strengthen the partnership between GPF and its partners in their quest to reform the police into a community, professional, civilian-oriented institution.
