Africa-Press – Gambia. The National Assembly has demanded clear answers from the Minister of Defence on the continued presence of Senegalese soldiers in The Gambia, with lawmakers calling for a concrete exit plan now that the country remains at peace.
During a heated session on Wednesday, the Honourable Member for Janjanbureh Constituency, Omar Jammeh pressed the Defence Minister Hon. Sering Modou Njie to present material evidence of any agreement that justifies the presence of Senegalese forces and to explain when they are expected to leave. In response, the Minister clarified that the troops are part of the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG), operating under a regional status of mission agreement that includes soldiers from Ghana and Nigeria as well.
He further explained that The Gambia and Senegal also signed a separate bilateral defence and security cooperation agreement in 2017 but stressed that this deal was different from the ECOMIG deployment.
Despite the explanation, several members were not satisfied. The Honourable Member for Foni Bintang Constituency, Bakary K Badjie questioned why there was still no clear timeline for the foreign troops’ withdrawal, arguing that the security situation no longer justifies their prolonged stay.
The Honourable Member for Sabach Sanjal Hon. Alagie B Ceesay also asked the Minister to clarify under which specific agreement Senegalese soldiers stationed in areas like Foni and Banjul fall. The Minister repeated that all troops are under ECOMIG’s authority, not the bilateral pact.
Frustrations deepened as lawmakers raised a previous scandal involving two Senegalese gendarmes who stole items from the residence of former President Yahya Jammeh in Kanilai. The Honourable Member for Foni Bintang said it was unacceptable for foreign soldiers to steal from State House property and asked if local traders who bought the stolen items faced any action.
The Minister said he was unaware of any follow-up but confirmed that the two soldiers were dismissed by Senegalese authorities.
The session ended with members demanding that the full bilateral agreement with Senegal be tabled in the Assembly for review. The Minister promised to submit it but did not commit to any deadline.
The tense exchanges highlighted growing concerns among MPs about national sovereignty, transparency, and the need for a clear plan for the eventual withdrawal of foreign forces from Gambian soil.
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