Commodore Madani Senghore
Commander, Gambia Navy.
Commodore Madani Senghore was born on the 16th March 1968 to a Muslim family in Banjul.
He enrolled at Windley Primary School from 1974 to 1980 and then he proceeded to Crab Island Secondary Technical School where he obtained a secondary 4th school leaving certificate in 1984. Relentless in his quest for knowledge, the Commodore enrolled at the prestigious Gambia High School from 1984 to 1987 and obtained a GCE O – level certificate.
Commodore Senghore enlisted into the Gambia Armed Forces on the 10th February 1988 and was posted to the Gambia Navy as a sailor. The Officer was privileged to attend the HMS Sultan Royal Naval School of Marine Engineering in the United Kingdom which led him to become a highly seasoned specialist on Naval Engineering. The Officer was promoted to officer cadet in January 1995 after he passed the Cadet Selection Board and in September 1995, Commodore Senghore joined the club of the few and privileged of the Gambia Armed Forces known as the Officer Corps with his commissioning to the rank of Midshipman a naval rank equivalent to Second Lieutenant in the Army.
The Officer was privileged to attend the Pakistan Naval Academy to broaden his horizon on naval operations before he proceeded to the Pakistan Naval Engineering College from May 1996 to December 1996 to become a full fledge Naval Engineer Officer. Subsequently he was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant (Lieutenant in the Army) in May 2001. As a result of his dedication, discipline and hard work, the Officer was promoted to Navy Lieutenant in April 2003. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 2006. Commodore Senghore added another diploma to his bag full of certificates from the International Peace Keeping Centre in Karen Kenya in 2007 and on the 8 March 2009, the Officer was promoted to Commander (Lt Col).
In preparation for senior military responsibilities, he went back to the military college in the Republic of Nigeria Armed Forces Command and Staff College, from January 2005 to June 2005.
Commodore Senghore has served in many capacities of the Gambia Armed Forces such as Director of Policy and Plans at the Defence Headquarters, Commanding Officer, Naval Command, Director of Administration and Logistics Defence Headquarters, Chief Engineering and Training Officer at the Naval Command and Fleet, Public Relations Officer Defence Headquarters. He was appointed to the prestigious position of Chief of Naval Staff in the second republic on the 8th March 2010.
The distinguished Officer’s credentials are supported by the many missions he served such as United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) as a Military Observer, Civilian Military Cooperation Officer in charge of sector 5 from June 2003 June 2004 at the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia/ Eriteria (UNMEE) and Chief CIMIC Officer at the Headquarters of the African Union Mission in Sudan.
He is also decorated with Le Jola Medal in recognition of his participation in the rescue operation of the Senegalese passenger ship Le Jola in Gambian waters. Furthermore, the Commodore is decorated with a General Service Medal.
Commodore Senghore is happily married with four children. His hobbies are jogging, swimming, reading, playing football and watching movies
Commodore Senghore performing his duties