By Kemo Kanyi
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF), Major General Ousman Gomez, has reaffirmed the military’s political neutrality, saying the armed forces will not align themselves with any political party ahead of the country’s 2026 general elections.
Speaking during a community engagement tour in rural Gambia, Gomez said the country would hold general elections in the coming months, with citizens expected to exercise their right to support political parties of their choice.
He stressed, however, that members of the GAF must remained politically neutral to help preserve peace and stability.
“You are not going to see the Gambia Armed Forces in politics. We are not involved in politics, and you are not going to see us participating in it,” Gomez said.
He explained that GAF could only be seen at political gatherings in the course of providing security, urging citizens to keep the military out of political activities.
“The only time you will see us in political gatherings is to provide security. Please, I am pleading to everyone to leave us out of politics. We can only participate in voting because that’s our citizens’ right,” he remarked.
Gomez said elections were temporary events while the country and its people remained, urging Gambians not to allow political differences to become a source of division, hatred or conflict.
He appealed to citizens to preserve the country’s peaceful environment and urged parents whose children serve in the armed forces not to encourage them to engage in partisan political activities.
The CDS also stressed that military uniforms must not be used at political rallies or on political platforms.
Gomez further called on community elders to monitor criminal activities within their communities and report suspected incidents to the relevant security authorities.
He said timely information from communities could help security agencies prevent crimes and avert potentially serious incidents.
The Army Chief said maintaining peace and stability was a collective responsibility of all Gambians.
He urged religious leaders and elders to continue praying for peace and stability, saying the country’s security forces did not want The Gambia to experience the unrest and instability witnessed in some other countries.
He called for continued cooperation between communities and security institutions to safeguard the country’s peace and stability.