By Adama Makasuba
On Tuesday, September 17, the Gambian parliament was divided over the government’s request to deploy peacekeeping troops to Sierra Leone as part of the regional bloc’s standby force. Vice President Muhammed B.S Jallow presented the motion, emphasizing the need to contribute to the ECOWAS joint operation to restore peace, security, and stability in Sierra Leone following a recent attempted military coup.
The president urgently requested the assembly’s approval for the deployment of Gambian troops under section 188 sub section 4 of the Gambia’s 1997 constitution, citing the security situation in Sierra Leone and the importance of upholding democratic principles and regional peace. As per his statement, this comes in the wake of a recent attempted military coup in Sierra Leone, which resulted in the widespread arrest of the coup plotters, including both active and retired army and police officers of the West African nation. However, Lamin Ceesay, a member of the national assembly for Kiang West, criticized the motion, labeling it ‘peculiar.’
Hon. Ceesay remarked that although The Gambia has faced numerous attempted coups, troops from other member states have never been needed to intervene and restore peace following such events. Therefore, we should consider this a different precedent. What’s particularly surprising is that after the eight-year political deadlock, these are the uniformed men and women we can’t rely on to safeguard the nation.
Conversely, Abdoulie Ceesay, the representative for Old Yundum Constituency, embraced the motion, emphasizing the importance of mutual support among countries. He added that we can never predict the future, and The Gambia might encounter a similar situation, something unprecedented in our history.
