GAF-Bangladesh Co-Deployment Will Replace Darfur Mission-CDS Drammeh
The Chief of Defense Staff Lt General Yankuba A. Drammeh has revealed that Gambia Armed Forces missions to Darfur, Sudan for decades which ended two years ago due to political decisions, would be replaced by the co-deployment mission between the Gambia Armed Forces and Bangladesh.
CDS Drammeh was speaking in an interview shortly after an end of a working visit by the Bangladesh Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed who visited the Gambia Armed Forces Training School in Fajara Barracks to assess and make an informed decision.
He stated that the Gambia Armed Forces and by extension the Gambia as a nation, pursued around to see how to possibly launch the men and women in uniform into a co-deployment mission.
CDS Drammeh highlighted on the recent achievements registered by the Gambia Armed Forces in their past missions to Darfur, adding that the Gambia Armed Forces have served in many operations in the past, in which GAF excelled to the satisfaction of those who constituted the missions in all the missions they partook.
“We, the Gambia Armed Forces have been reputed when it comes to peace keeping by serving in many operations in the past. We have very enviable performance track records in these missions starting with Ecomog in the 1919s, the ECOWAS mission in Liberia, Ecomog Mission in Liberia, Sierra Leone,the African Mission in Darfur Sudan likewise the Hybrid African Union and the United Nations Missions in Darfur.” He noted.
CDS Drammeh said “in 2018, the Gambia made a pledge to the United Nations to say we would like to provide what we call a quick reaction force in one of the existing missions. Without hesitation, the UN in principle accepted the proposal from the Gambian side. During the period under review, we have under taken lots of planning and preparations to actualize that dream.”
He noted that “as and when the situation becomes untenable, we could be called upon to perform special functions to quell on how to restore peace and secure that given area, which is both physically and mentally is demanding. I do not doubt the credibility and performance of troops under my command. On the basis on that, I have always maintained to say yes, we can provide a quick reaction force.”
