By Lamin Njie
Army chief Masanneh Kinteh said Wednesday Jammeh era presidential guard comprised ‘elements’ who were used to abuse the rights of Gambians.
Kinteh stating this while meeting with 150 soldiers who have been tapped for the country’s new presidential guard – and who were departing The Gambia for Senegal where they will undergo a three months training.
The presidential guard is an elite unit that is being formed charged with providing security to the president and the State House. The unit consists mostly of soldiers but also police and intelligence officers.
The new presidential guard of The Gambia currently boasts of 150 soldiers, but once the new 150 soldiers finish their training, it will bring the number to 300.
On Monday, chief defense staff Masanneh Kinteh met with the soldiers at the army’s training school in Fajara and explained why the Jammeh era presidential guard was scrapped.
The top general said: “This journey started over two years ago when there was a peaceful change of government in this country for the first time, and there was a need to be able to reconstitute the presidential guard that will be there to serve the interest of the people of this country.
“One of the first moves undertaken by the new administration is to ensure that the former presidential guard that was used by the previous regime in instituting regime security and some elements were also used to abuse and violate the human rights of the people of this country, needs to be removed and redeployed and reformed in the armed forces. Therefore there was a need to be able to reconstitute the State Guard Battalion.”
