{"id":89569,"date":"2025-11-07T15:29:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T15:29:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/uncategorized\/civil-society-questions-slow-security-sector-reforms"},"modified":"2025-11-07T16:26:56","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T16:26:56","slug":"civil-society-questions-slow-security-sector-reforms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/civil-society-questions-slow-security-sector-reforms","title":{"rendered":"Civil Society Questions Slow Security Sector Reforms"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Gambia. <\/strong><\/span><b>A coalition of thirteen Gambian civil society organizations has raised eyebrows over the slow pace and uneven implementation of Security Sector Reforms (SSR) nearly a decade after the 2016 democratic transition.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>In a position paper submitted to Government, National Assembly, security agencies, and international partners, the group called for urgent, measurable reforms to restore public trust and strengthen the country\u2019s democratic institutions.<\/p>\n<p>The coalition, which includes Activista The Gambia, the Center for Budget and Macroeconomic Transparency (CBMT Gambia), the Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ), and others, highlighted persistent challenges such as political interference, inadequate coordination, and resistance within security institutions. They warned that the gap between policy and practice threatens to erode Gambians\u2019 confidence in the security apparatus and risks undermining the nation\u2019s hard-won democratic gains.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe recognize the government\u2019s commitments, including the National Security Policy (2019) and the SSR Strategy (2020\u20132024), as well as the adoption of TRRC recommendations,\u201d the paper states. \u201cHowever, progress remains slow, uneven, and inconsistent with the expectations of citizens who have endured past abuses and yearn for accountable, rights-respecting security services.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The civil society groups called for the establishment of fully independent oversight bodies, comprehensive training reforms for security personnel, and transparent recruitment and promotion practices. They also urged the deployment of technology to enhance accountability and strengthen community engagement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSecurity sector reform is not just about policies on paper; it is about tangible actions that protect and serve the people,\u201d the coalition said. \u201cWe are advocating for reforms that ensure professionalism, respect for human rights, and adherence to the rule of law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The submission reflects the collective monitoring and advocacy of civil society over the SSR process, including documentation of police brutality and other breaches that have undermined public trust. It also emphasizes the importance of inclusive participation by citizens and civil society in shaping security sector outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>The coalition\u2019s paper was addressed to the Office of the President, National Security Council, Gambia Armed Forces, Police, National Intelligence Agency, the National Assembly, international partners, including the UN, ECOWAS, DCAF, and GiZ, as well as post-TRRC implementing units.<\/p>\n<p>By providing actionable recommendations, the civil society groups hope to catalyze renewed political will and collaborative engagement to decisively advance the SSR agenda and secure lasting peace, justice, and democratic resilience for all Gambians.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For More News And Analysis About <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Gambia<\/span> Follow <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Gambia. A coalition of thirteen Gambian civil society organizations has raised eyebrows over the slow pace and uneven implementation of Security Sector Reforms (SSR) nearly a decade after the 2016 democratic transition. In a position paper submitted to Government, National Assembly, security agencies, and international partners, the group called for urgent, measurable reforms [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":89568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[260],"class_list":["post-89569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-gambia"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Civil Society Questions Slow Security Sector Reforms - Gambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A coalition of thirteen Gambian civil society organizations has raised eyebrows over the slow pace and uneven impleme ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/civil-society-questions-slow-security-sector-reforms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Civil Society Questions Slow Security Sector Reforms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A coalition of thirteen Gambian civil society organizations has raised eyebrows over the slow pace and uneven impleme ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/civil-society-questions-slow-security-sector-reforms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gambia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-07T15:29:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-07T16:26:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2025\/11\/sm_1762520182.527587.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/civil-society-questions-slow-security-sector-reforms#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/civil-society-questions-slow-security-sector-reforms\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Civil Society Questions Slow Security Sector Reforms\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-07T15:29:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-07T16:26:56+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/civil-society-questions-slow-security-sector-reforms\"},\"wordCount\":402,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/civil-society-questions-slow-security-sector-reforms#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2025\/11\/sm_1762520182.527587.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Gambia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/civil-society-questions-slow-security-sector-reforms#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/civil-society-questions-slow-security-sector-reforms\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/civil-society-questions-slow-security-sector-reforms\",\"name\":\"Civil Society Questions Slow Security Sector Reforms - 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