By Sering Mass Jallow
Yafaye Tamba, leader of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) No-To-Alliance faction has welcomed the recent removal of ECOWAS troops from Bwiam military checkpoint.
It could be recalled that ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG) troops had mounted up a military checkpoint in Bwiam just at the entrance to the Foni region which was now removed.
Mr. Tamba who is the leader of the APRC faction loyal to former President Yahya Jammeh, describes the move as a relief for residents of the region.
Speaking in an interview with The Voice newspaper, Mr Tamba said locals had long expressed dissatisfaction over the presence of the regional forces at the checkpoint, alleging that it contributed to safety concerns and disruptions in the area.
He claimed that several accidents had occurred around the checkpoint since the deployment of the troops, including a recent incident that resulted in the death of a motorcycle rider, which sparked renewed calls from residents for their redeployment.
“Since their stationing at this checkpoint, a number of accidents have occurred, resulting in loss of lives. The community was not happy about it,” he said.
Mr Tamba further alleged that the presence of the forces restricted access for women gardeners to their fields, leading to reduced agricultural output and economic losses for families in the area.
Calls for the removal of the checkpoint had also been made by other local figures, including the National Assembly Member for Foni Kansala, Almami Gibba, who previously accused the forces of overstepping their mandate.
According to Mr Tamba, consultations involving senior ECOMIG officers from Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana were held before the redeployment. The meeting was reportedly attended by two National Assembly Members from the Foni region, the Chief of Kansala, and several local elders.
Meanwhile, ECOMIG was deployed to The Gambia following the 2016 post-election impasse, with a mandate to support security, protect democratic institutions and help stabilize the country during the political transition.
