By Fatou Sillah
The Gambia Police Force plans to train more than 500 additional officers in the coming months as part of efforts to strengthen security and manage public order ahead of the country’s 2026 presidential election, a senior police official said.
Modou Musa Sisawo, the police force’s public relations officer, said in a recent television interview that the training is expected to begin shortly after Ramadan and is intended to boost the institution’s operational capacity during a period of heightened political activity.“Hopefully immediately after Ramadan, we will start training no less than 500,” he said.
He said the initiative is aimed at expanding the police force’s human resources to ensure adequate security coverage as election-related activities increase across the country.“And all of this thing is towards ensuring that we have the capacity in terms of human resources to be able to be there to provide the service,” he said.
According to Mr. Sisawo, the new recruits will receive instruction in public order management, a key component of policing during political rallies, campaign events, and other large public gatherings.
“These people are trained on what you call public order management, to work with people within an environment where people are out there trying to enjoy themselves,” he said.
Mr. Sisawo added that the planned intake will build on recent recruitment efforts. More than 1,000 officers recently completed their training and were formally inducted into the force, he said.
The additional officers are expected to further strengthen the police force’s capacity to maintain public safety and order during the election period.
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