UNETHICAL COMMENTARY AND MISREPRESENTATION OF THE GAMBIA ARMED FORCES BY CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS
1. The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) has noted with serious concern a growing trend of unfounded and irresponsible commentary in the media and public discourse regarding its operations, conduct, and role within the democratic framework of the Republic of The Gambia. Of particular concern are recent publications and utterances by Mr Samsudeen Sarr, a former Commander of the Gambia National Army, and Mr Essa Mbaye Faal, a political figure and aspiring presidential candidate, which GAF deems not only misleading but also potentially incendiary.
2. In his latest publications, Mr. Sarr made reference to an isolated theft incident last year, involving personnel from the Senegalese Gendarmerie, who were part of the President and Commander-in-Chief’s security detail under the ECOMIG Forces. The retired senior officer went further to raise issues around the presence of GAF’s infantry soldiers at strategic security installations such as the Denton Bridge in Banjul. These narratives are framed in a manner that seeks to misrepresent the professionalism, role, and apolitical nature of the Armed Forces.
3. Similarly, Mr Essa Mbaye Faal recently alleged in an interview that the GAF is being neglected by the government of The Gambia. These claims, made without context or evidence, serve only to politicise the Armed Forces and/or drag it into a political discourse with leaders of political parties and their followers. Undeniably, this posture would unjustly erode public confidence in an institution that has made significant strides to transform itself in line with the Security Sector Reform agenda of the government. It has to be noted that the Armed Forces is committed to these reforms, while at the same time accountable and subordinate to democratic civilian authority and control since the advent of the new political dispensation.
4. Therefore, the GAF High Command strongly condemns these utterances, which it considers unethical, unpatriotic, and unbecoming of any responsible citizen, particularly from a former senior military officer and a public figure. These actions appear calculated to use the name of the Armed Forces to score political points and gain cheap popularity, a practice the GAF will not tolerate under any guise.
5. Let it be made clear that GAF is a professional institution that continues to undergo wide-reaching reforms in line with international best practices, the Security Sector Reform agenda, and the expectations of the Gambian citizenry. The Armed Forces will continue to remain fully subordinate to democratic, legally constituted civilian authority and guided strictly by the Constitution and the laws of The Gambia. As such, GAF will not sit idly by while its name and mandate are used as tools for political manipulation. Such actions not only undermine national cohesion but also have the potential to incite division and compromise national security.
6. We therefore urge Mr Samsudeen Sarr and others who seek relevance through disparaging commentary about their country’s Armed Forces to desist from such practices. We also call on political actors, media houses, and commentators, notably West Coast Radio, to exercise restraint, uphold professional ethics, and avoid dragging the Armed Forces into political debates that have no bearing on its mission or duties.
7. The GAF remains committed to preserving the peace and security of this country while at the same time contributing to meaningful national and socie-economic development. We therefore call on all Gambians, at home and abroad, to support the Armed Forces as it continues on its journey of transformation into a professional, modern, effective, and democratically accountable institution.
Signed
LAMIN K SANYANG
Colonel
Director of Press and Public Relations
Gambia Armed Forces
6 May 2025
