By: Fatou Krubally
The Gambian Ministers of Interior and Defence on Tuesday told the National Assembly that persistent funding constraints continue to undermine efforts to address major challenges confronting the country’s security sector.
The ministers made the remarks while responding to the report of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defence and Security following oversight visits to police stations, military barracks, customs units, prisons and drug law enforcement agencies across the country.
Presenting the government’s response, Interior Minister Abdoulie Sanyang acknowledged the committee’s findings, describing them as a reflection of challenges that his ministry has repeatedly brought to the attention of the authorities.
“These are genuine problems facing the sector on a daily basis, and for the longest time we have tried to put forward a case for increased budget allocation to address them,” he told lawmakers.
Sanyang said most of the committee’s recommendations would require significant financial investment and warned that meaningful progress would remain difficult without increased budgetary support.
Defence Minister Baboucarr O. Joof also highlighted a range of challenges facing the armed forces, including inadequate accommodation, insufficient operational equipment, transportation constraints, shortages of uniforms and protective gear, limited medical support, sanitation concerns and inadequate funding.
He said the ministry had initiated measures to improve manpower planning, strengthen infrastructure, modernise equipment management systems and enhance personnel welfare.
However, Joof acknowledged that resource limitations continue to slow the implementation of planned reforms and development projects.
According to the minister, the armed forces are pursuing a phased approach to addressing infrastructure deficits, improving fleet management systems, strengthening medical services and upgrading living conditions within military installations.
During the debate, lawmakers questioned why many of the challenges identified in the committee’s report continue to persist despite repeated oversight findings over the years.
Several members sought clarification on whether the issues had previously been brought to the government’s attention and queried the reasons for the apparent lack of adequate financial support for the sector.
The two ministers maintained that implementing the committee’s recommendations and improving operational effectiveness would require sustained investment and increased budgetary allocations to the security sector.