By Kemo Cham in Serekunda
The Gambian government is seeking a parliamentary approval to deploy its troops in Sierra Leone as part of the planned ECOWAS Stabilization Mission.
The Gambia’s Vice President, Muhammad Jalloh, tabled a motion at the National Assembly this week, seeking the authorization of lawmakers on the move that has divided the nation.
“By deploying our gallant Gambian troops, trained in peacekeeping operations and equipped with skills to restore order and protect the democratic aspirations of our fellow West African brothers and sisters, we can contribute to the restoration of stability and the protection of constitutional values in Sierra Leone,” the Vice President said in a statement to lawmakers.
The ECOWAS Mission in Sierra Leone (ECOMISIL) was sanctioned by Heads of State and Government of the West African bloc, ECOWAS last year as a response to growing concerns over insecurity in the country.
The deployment is part of the broader operationalization of the ECOWAS Standby Force, a regional initiative designed to respond to security threats in the sub region. But the Sierra Leone mission was sanctioned after the deadly November 26 failed attempted coup last year, which followed several unrests, some of which claimed lives.
The ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff at a recent meeting announced that 1,200 personnel will be deployed in Sierra Leone as part of the mission. And the first phase of the deployment was expected to commence this month.
According to reports, The Gambia intends to deploy 150 troops, which the authorities say will comprise a Motorize Company.
“The deployment is intended to contribute to the ECOWAS Joint Operation aimed at restoring peace, security and stability in Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
It noted that the move is a reflection of Gambia’s commitment to regional peace, stability and the protection of democratic values.
But Gambians are divided over the issue, with critics saying that the country is itself under protection of an ECOWAS stabilization force deployed since 2017, following disputed elections that brought it to the brink of war.
President Adama Barrow has ignored calls by Gambians, as contained in findings of polls upon polls, for an end to the foreign troops deployment. These critics say Barrow doesn’t trust his security in the hands of his own security forces and instead he relies on mainly Senegalese who provide his personal security.
“After eight years of political impasse, these are the men and women in uniform that are not trusted to protect the president,” Gambian lawmaker Lamin Ceesay is quoted saying during a parliamentary debate on the motion.
He added: “If you believe in them enough to deploy them to another country, you should be able to bestow that same trust to protect the president.”
The ECOWAS Mission in The Gambian consists of mainly Senegalese, Ghanaian and Nigerian troops.
The heads of State extended the mission’s stay in the country for one more year in December 2023, at the 64th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government summit in Abuja, Nigeria. That was the same meeting where the Sierra Leone deployment was sanctioned.
