The National Security Adviser of The Gambia has pointed out that for a country that is still on its transitional justice journey and learning lessons from the past, well-trained law enforcement institutions and disciplined society are key building blocks for the maintenance of law and order and attainment of 'our shared development goals and wider reform objectives.
That, he said, includes transitional justice, security Sector Reforms and governance.
Abubakarr S. Jeng made this disclosure recently at the start of a three-day Training of Trainers (TOT) forum organised by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) at Metzy Hotel.
The three-day event was designed to arm security personnel with the requisite knowledge on issues relating to human rights, humanitarian law and handling of Sexual and Gender-based Violence in The Gambia. It came on the backdrop of the TRRC recommendations in its final report that the government, through the Ministry of Justice should collaborate with the commission to ensure regular trainings on human rights for personnel of the security sector.
Also, the event was aimed at strengthening the capacity of rule of law actors in the discharge of their day-to-day functions as law enforcement officers especially in the areas of human rights and humanitarian law, among a host of others.
Jeng recalled that the security institutions partnership with the NHRC began in 2019, when the commission was newly established as a permanent institution mandated to promote and protect human rights in The Gambia.
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The Commission, he added, conducted several capacity building initiatives for the rule of law actors, as they renewed their joint commitment to creating a security that is responsive to the needs and aspirations of Gambians.
This is part of the commission's broader move to ensure the human rights and humanitarian laws are upheld and respected.
"The current curricula of the various security services can be improved to properly reflect the key principles, standards and norms of human rights and humanitarian law and to better address the issue of gender-based violence."
He further indicated that security personnel need to be regularly and systematically trained on gender, human rights and humanitarian law in line with the ongoing reforms and institutional development of the security sector.
"Evidently, it was the omission and neglect in these areas that enabled the weaponisation of the security sector against civilians and the systematic perpetration of human rights violation and abuses during the former regime."
In line with the ongoing Security Sector Reforms (SSR), he reminded that, concrete steps have been taken in collaboration with the Commission to review and update aspects specific to human rights into the training curricula of the security institutions.
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