As the fight against illicit drug trafficking and other clandestine activities continue, the government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Interior and Expertise France last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the objectives of fighting maritime trafficking to and from The Gambia.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister for Interior Seyaka Sonko, said: "I am with delight and conviction that we are today beginning a new path towards a renewed commitment to the fight against illicit trafficking through the maritime route. This cooperation is coming at a time when the government of The Gambia is intensively devising mechanisms to improve controls at the seaport."
"These efforts are against the backdrop of the pressure placed on West African states by powerful transnational organised criminal groups using the proximity of the region to South America for the trafficking of huge quantities of cocaine. These groups capitalised on the low capacity at the ports and most importantly the highly un-policed maritime zones. It is worth mentioning that despite the low capacity and capability, law enforcement agencies in the region have proven very resilient and committed."
"The agreement of the Gambia government through my ministry to sign this memorandum of understanding with Expertise France for the implementation of the project, is enough political goodwill and proof of shared vision and common objective with SEACOP to improve maritime security inside our sovereign waters and prevent transatlantic maritime trafficking to/from The Gambia," he posited.
The partnership with SEACOP, he said, would therefore reinforce existing efforts by improving interagency cooperation and coordination using the multi-agency approach.
"I am made to understand that the objective of SEACOP V is to support beneficiary countries in the fight against illicit maritime trafficking and associated criminal networks between the Caribbean, South America, and West Africa, and to enhance international cooperation in tackling illicit maritime trafficking on the transatlantic route."
This objective, Interior Minister Sonko added, is consistent with The Gambia government's priorities to strengthen maritime security, especially against the imminent threat posed by organised crime syndicates.
"We will continue to pursue this objective politically and through partnerships like this one. I, therefore, assure the SEACOP project team and your donor that the Gambia government is committed to the implementation of this project and is looking forward to a very fruitful partnership for the common good of humanity. We shall work together to free the world of the siege of organised crime, if we are to maintain rule of law and democratic governance around the world."
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Dominique Bucas, the director of SEACOP, said: "Today, the signing of this MoU will formalise the political partnership between the government of The Gambia and the European Union, through the SEACOP project. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Gambian authorities for welcoming the SEACOP project and to congratulate them for their determination to fight against drug trafficking. Particularly, thanks to our counterpart of the DLEAG for their commitment to tackle drug trafficking."
West Africa, he said, is targeted by criminal networks seeking to smuggle large quantities of cocaine into the region for storage before shipping it back to Europe by various means (land, air and sea). "For years, through several programmes, the European Union is committed to support the fight against global criminality, including drug trafficking. Among these programmes, the global illicit flows programme (GIFP), gather different project dedicated to this response against trafficking affecting the health of our citizens, our economies, our security, our environment."
"DLEAG is very pleased to host the SEACOP V project as the lead agency. We hope the project will help strengthen the on-going operational reforms at the Seaport to maximise interdiction. With support from the National Narcotics Intelligence Analysis Center (NIAC), operations at the seaport will be intelligence-led to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in cargo targeting and search. This will guarantee a fair balance between the speedy facilitation of trade and crime interdiction," said Lamin J. Gassama, director of Intelligence and International Cooperation at DLEAG.
