Lieutenant General Mamat O. A. Cham steps down as the country’s Ninth Chief of Defence Staff. Major General Ousman Gomez steps in as Acting CDS.
The Chief of Defence Staff of The Gambia Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Mamat O. A. Cham, has resigned from his position with immediate effect, citing numerous allegations of misconduct and abuse of office that he acknowledged were inconsistent with the responsibilities of his office.
President Adama Barrow accepted the resignation and moved to fill the vacuum, appointing Major General Ousman Gomez as Acting Chief of Defence Staff with immediate effect.
Before his appointment, Major General Gomez served as Deputy Chief of Defence Staff at Army Headquarters in Banjul.
In his resignation letter dated Friday, 29th May 2026, General Cham tendered his resignation to President Barrow. He acknowledged that the allegations levelled against him were incompatible with the high standards demanded of the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff.
Despite stepping down, General Cham expressed gratitude to President Barrow for the trust placed in him, noting that his appointment as the country’s Ninth Chief of Defence Staff had been an honour. He also pledged his full cooperation and availability should any formal investigations into the allegations be initiated.
“The allegations are inconsistent with the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff.” Lieutenant General Mamat O. A. Cham’s resignation letter stated.
Acting on the authority granted to him under Section 190 of the Constitution, President Barrow accepted the resignation and immediately exercised his constitutional powers to appoint Major General Ousman Gomez as Acting Chief of Defence Staff.
