The Honourable Minister of Interior, Mr. Abdoulie Sanyang, with his delegation, recently paid a solemn visit to his counterpart, Mr. Abdelouafi LAFTIT, the Minister of Interior in the Kingdom of Morocco.
This visit was marked by high-level discussions between the delegation and competent Moroccan authorities, as well as visits to important facilities of the host country, including police facilities within the Royal Police Training School and historical sites.
During the meeting between the two sides, the Moroccan Minister formally welcomed the delegation and reiterated his side’s commitment to strengthening the bilateral partnership. He cited the symbolic signing of the MOU in 2024 between the two ministries and stressed that as a framework for cooperation.
Gambia’s Interior Minister, Hon. Abdoulie Sanyang, on his part, thanked his counterpart minister for receiving him and his delegation. He profoundly acknowledged and expressed appreciation for the strong cooperation between the two countries and particularly recognized the timely support provided by the Moroccan side to the Gambia as the host for the immediate past OIC Conference held in 2024.
Minister Sanyang highlighted his desires and commitment to cement the cooperation citing his Ministry’s priority areas for support from the Moroccan which he said include capacity building for the newly established GPF K-9 Unit, forensics, special forces, establishment of a general training school for services under the Ministry of Interior, border security and migration management amongst others.
In the same journey, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for the Gambia Police Force, Seedy Muctar Touray, also met with the Executive Director of Africa50 Mobility to discuss the sustainability and security of the Senegambia Bridge.
The Executive Director of Africa50, Mr Cadir Hassan, expressed his appreciation to the IGP and sought collaboration with the Gambia Police Force in the form of an MOU between the two countries.
In his response, IGP Touray posited that the draft MOU should be shared for review by the Police Management before ratification. He went further to acknowledge that the Senegambia Bridge is a high-value national asset and that the police will cooperate to defend the national interest with regard to the security aspect.
Mr. Touray solicited their continuous support to the police, especially with vehicles to facilitate adequate security of the infrastructure, as well as creating a hybrid police station by the bridge to ensure a 24/7 police presence.
In a subsequent visit to the Royal Police Training, the delegation was accorded a special engagement with the authorities of the Moroccan Police K-9 Branch. The engagement was marked by a presentation on the K-9 and followed by a technical discussion to enhance the Gambian side’s awareness about K-9 and, importantly, map out specific support areas.
The courtesy visit was described as a success, laying the groundwork for further collaboration in ensuring a peaceful and secure future for the two nations.
The Hon. Sanyang’s delegation comprised the following officials: General Seedy Muctarr Touray, Inspector General of Police; Mr. Kebba Nfally Darbo, Principal Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Interior; Commissioner Adeline Basangeh, Commissioner for Police Intervention (PIU); Commissioner Mustapha Ndong, Commissioner for GPF Administration and Chief Superintendent Babou Jeng, Chief of Operations, PIU.
