BANJUL, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Gambian government has on Monday commenced a 10-day training for the members of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) in order to re-professionalize their activities, build their capacities and improve their capabilities in their protective roles.
The country's Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) Lieutenant General Masanneh Kinteh said the training will help his men-in-uniform perform better within their constitutional mandate.
"The military wholly and surely is answerable to the civil authority. The privilege given to us by this government to develop ourselves along professional lines is what is existing in democratic states world over," he said.
Kinteh said the study period will develop the competencies of his members intellectually and professionally in order to play their role in defending territorial integrity and sovereignty as spelled out in the Constitution.
Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang, Women's Affairs Minister and the Overseer of the Vice Presidency assured that the government will endeavor to train not only officers but all classes of soldiers in all fields of study in order to ensure security in the country.
The Gambia Armed Forces has had their larger responsibility taken by the ECOMIG forces since January due to lack of confidence in them by the new government following the exit of the former president Yahya Jammeh.
