By Landing Ceesay
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Gambia Secretariat has today commenced a two-week capacity building for The Gambia’s security personnel.
The training is part of the ongoing preparatory efforts for the successful hosting of the OIC heads of State and Government Summit in The Gambia next year.
The training for the security would be conducted under the auspices of a technical assistance programme between the governments of The Gambia and Turkey.
Speaking at the opening, Yankuba Dibba, Chief Executive Officer of OIC Gambia Secretariat gave an insight of the two-week training for the security services.
“Today’s event is a testament to that. We are gathered here to witness yet another initiative that will impact positively in maintaining peace and stability in the country. With support from the friendly Republic of Turkey, a total of fifty (50) security personnel, over a course of two weeks, will benefit from high-level training in the following areas: Protection of Important Facilities Against Terrorist Attacks, and VIP protection and handling. The capacity-building programme is part of our goal of equipping the police and other security services with modern apparatus and technical know-how to keep the streets of The Gambia safe during the summit and beyond. We hope to train more than two thousand (2000) security personnel before the Summit.
“With the increase in terrorist activities around the world, particularly in the SAHEL and sub-Saharan Africa, the topic couldn’t have been timelier. As we host the world next year, we are not taking national security for granted, which is why we are engaged in constantly improving our forces’ engagement readiness and capability,” Mr. Yankuba Dibba, Chief Executive Officer of OIC Gambia Secretariat said.
For his part, Adeline Basangeh, Commissioner of Police Intervention Unit highlighted their preparations ahead of the summit.
“The Gambia police force is aware of the Gambia hosting the OIC summit in 2022. The GPF had taken a very important strive to prepare its men and women in uniform to take up the task ahead. Over the years, the Gambia Police Force has conducted a series of training knowing the fact that securing a very high-profile event like the OIC which is the second largest in the world is not an easy task,” PIU Commissioner Basangeh said.
Meanwhile, His Excellency Ali Riza, Ambassador of Turkey to The Gambia explained how his country is helping The Gambia to host the OIC summit, successfully.
“We have shared our experience with the Gambian officials on protocol issues two years ago. Now another protocol team will visit Banjul next month for additional training. We have also provided training for GRTS officials on television production techniques two years ago,” he said.
The two-week capacity building training for the Gambian security personnel commenced on 20th September at the headquarters of the police intervention Unit (PIU) in Kanifing
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second-largest inter-governmental organization with a membership of 57 states, spread over four continents.
The OIC organizes the Islamic summit, which is the largest meeting, attended by the rulers and the Heads of State and Government of its member states.
The summit takes policy decisions and guides on all issues about the realization of its objectives as provided for by the OIC Charter and considers other issues of concern to the Member States and the Muslim community at large.
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