Sixty representatives from the civil society, the Gambia Armed Forces and other law enforcement agencies yesterday started a seminar on civil military relations in The Gambia, at Yahya AJJ Jammeh Gambia Armed Forces Joint Officers’ Mess in Kotu.

Participants comprised representatives of the government, members of the National Assembly, senior and junior officers of the Gambian security services, heads of civil society organisations, newspaper editors, and politicians.

The US Embassy in Banjul and The Gambia government-backed up seminar is conducted by two representatives of the Califonia-based Centre for Civil-Military Relations (CCMR), an agency of the United States Department of Defence responsible for civil military relation education programmes worldwide. Rt US Colonel Mensch, a Programme Manager for CCMR, who holds Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Master’s Degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Middle East Studies, arrived in the country alongside Professor Letitia Lawson, a Senior Lecturer in National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School in Califonia, to help bridge the gap between the military and the civil society to ensure consolidated relations between the two.

The three-day seminar focuses on military, civil society and democratic governance, military relations in The Gambia, security forces and legislature, regional peace support operations, military professionalism in a democracy, roles and missions of the Armed Forces, civic education programmes, security forces and the media, Armed Forces and HIV/AIDS, among others. There is also a platform for group works, open and frank discussions on civil and military relations in the country.

According to the organisers, the seminar will produce an action plan development at the end of the deliberations.

Delivering his statement during the opening ceremony, Brigadier General Lang Tombong Tamba, Chief of Defense Staff of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF), said the seminar reflects on the determination and commitment of the GAF to maintain a good civil-military relations, adding that it presents opportunity to increase mutual understanding about “who is who and what are the expectations from one another, as military and civilians living in one country”. He said this is a challenge on the part of the armed and security services, the politicians and the legislature to bring about sustainable civil-military cooperation.

The Gambian Brigadier-General informed the gathering that one of the roles of the military in times of peace is to assist the civil population on request, as this moment presents opportunities to fortify the relation.

Brig. Gen Tamba confirmed that incidences of civil-military misunderstanding and frictions have diminished. “Thanks to my well-experienced staff officers who kept on sensitising our junior officers and soldiers on the importance of good public relations,” he said. He observed that this achievement has been possible, following an all-out resolve to restore public confidence by demystifying the myth and misconceptions in the public.
Brig, Gen Lang Tombong Tamba urged the security and the civil society to take it upon themselves as a duty to exercise dialogue, tolerance, discipline, professionalism and openness to nurture the bond of relations between them.

CDS Tamba then lauded the GAF-US Armed Forces relation. He said the relation has been growing from strength to strength and GAF continues to benefit from US sponsored overseas statement. He then commended President Yahya Jammeh for creating the enabling environment for them to perform their duties.
For her part, Lange Schermerhorn, Charge D’ affaires of the US Embassy in Banjul, thanked GAF for hosting the seminar, saying that “The Gambia has a strong tradition of apolitical Armed Forces being clearly subordinated to civil authority. This initiative is a sign of healthy civil military relations in The Gambia”.

The US Charge D’ affaires told the participants that the world is being reformed by globalisation, which offers multinational approach to today’s security challenges. “We find ourselves collaborating to face challenges, ranging from keeping the peace to responding to disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis. Today, the United States and The Gambia, in partnership with like-minded nations, are striving to alleviate the suffering of the population in Darfur,” she said.

Affirming that many current multinational security operations illustrate that collaboration with civil authorities and relief organisations has become primary, Ms Schermerhorn recognised that forced displacements of populations and induced famines are as “equally a serious” threat as are coventional military aggressions. She then elaborated: “Security forces must work extremely closely with local authorities and development entities to integrate efforts effectively.”

“As our countries respond to these twenty-first century challenges of globalisation and evolving military affairs, it is incumbent upon us to come together and discuss new approaches to these developments,” urged the US Banjul Embassy Charge D’ affaires Lange Schermerhorn.