Following a five (5) month period of training in in the Republic of Senegal, the second State Guard batch sent by the Gambia Armed Forces on Friday 10th January 2020 graduates in a ceremony graced by Mamadou Diouf – Haut Commandant en Second de la Gendarmerie However, a high-powered delegation headed by the Director of Training and Doctrine of the GAF attended the ceremony. According to the director, the training calendar referred to as the CDS Training Directive for 2019 was very pact and intense for the Gambia Armed Forces Training School. And, therefore, it was necessary to seek assistance from elsewhere. This he said could have been more ideal in Senegal given the proximity and cultural ties. Other speakers also include Colonel Oumar Diouf – Coammandant L’Ecoles de Gendarmerie (Commandant of the Gendarmerie) and Commandant Jatta – Commander of the Center Perfectionement de la Gendarmerie Mobil (CPGM).
A total number of one hundred and fifty were selected and sent on training to Senegal in the month of …2019. The training phase included training in Fatick then culminated in Dakar. The training activities were centered on many areas. At the Ecole de Sous Officier de la Gendarmerie Nationale in Fatick, regimentation and discipline, ethics and dermatology, weapon handling and firing, physical training, civil right and, public freedom and public order management were amongst some key areas dealt with.
At the CPGM in Dakar however, additional areas centered on training on intervention techniques, VIP protection, rappelling techniques, combating adversary with and without arms (hand to hand combat) etc were treated.
It is expected that the current batch will soon join the previous one who had undergone a similar training program in Senegal. This is said to be in line with the current reform agenda and the endeavor of the two countries in mutually assisting each other.
