A coalition of thirteen civil society organisations has submitted a position paper to the Minister of Interior, Abdoulie Sanyang, urging the government to take urgent steps to accelerate The Gambia’s long-delayed Security Sector Reform (SSR) process.
The letter, dated 31 October 2025, highlights what the group described as “institutional inertia, political hesitation, and fragmented implementation” that have stalled progress nearly a decade after the country’s democratic transition in 2016.
The organisations, including Activista The Gambia, Beakanyang, Think Young Women, Solo Sandeng Foundation, and the National Youth Parliament, warned that the slow pace of reform risks eroding public confidence in the country’s security institutions and undermining democratic gains.
While commending the government for developing key policy frameworks such as the National Security Policy (2019) and the Security Sector Reform Strategy (2020–2024), the coalition expressed concern that “political interference, poor coordination, and internal resistance” continue to impede implementation.
The paper also praised the government’s adoption of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) recommendations and the formulation of a White Paper on SSR, describing them as important milestones.
However, it stressed that “the gap between policy and practice” remains a major obstacle to meaningful progress.
