By Lamin Njie
A top defense analyst is calling on President Adama Barrow to expedite the security sector reform in order for Gambians to regain control of national security.
President Barrow in June this year launched a national security roadmap as part of an ambitious reform programme but analysts say the process has been slow. A political impasse in 2016 resulted in Ecowas nations agreeing to send troops to The Gambia to ensure then-president-elect Adama Barrow is enthroned. Some of the foreign security personnel were later tapped to serve as the president’s bodyguards.
Sariang Marong who served in the US navy for 19 years in which time he has gone on deployment three time to countries where US has interest in, believes the reform process should be broadened to include Gambians protecting the president.
He told The Fatu Network in an exclusive interview: “At this point, there should be a parallel force on the presidential side; the bodyguards and physical security.
“For almost three years, I think that’s enough time to recruit and send someone in terms of VIP protection training, [and] anti-terrorism training.
“There’s four bodyguards I have seen him anytime he’s going who wear plain clothes. What I think is that the president, if he’s going with four or six foreign troops in total, I think 3-3 [three foreigners and three Gambians].
“That way they can start the transition process. I think we have capable Gambians, men and women who will swear and this will require a very robust vetting process.
“To be fair, ECOMIG did a very good job but initially when I saw the men who were guarding him, these were very young men that were guarding him.”
Gambia Armed Forces was one of the country’s security institutions that was pushed to the fringes in the aftermath of Jammeh’s political demise but Mr Marong argues it was high time President Barrow visited the country’s troops.
He said: “It’s a relationship building, it’s assurance that, ‘I care about you’. I watched one of the interviews where the president said, ‘I have someone who briefs me every time.’ You are the commander-in-chief. You got someone working for you but you’re the commander-in-chief and you got to get out there, get in front of the troops and talk to them.”
