Security sector reform in The Gambia What is at stake? Chido Mutangadura Security sector reforms (SSR) have been implemented in The Gambia since 2017, including in the military, police and intelligence services. Policy frameworks have also been developed. Navigating SSR in The Gambia is a complex task due to the multiplicity of SSR support programmes being implemented by a range of actors, from national stakeholders to bilateral partners, international civil society and multilateral organisations. This report explores the reform processes to identify opportunities to ensure effective and efficient implementation. WEST AFRICA REPORT 31 | NOVEMBER 2020 Key findings The slow pace of developing and launching facilitate coordination between the concurrent the National Security Policy, National Security stabilisation initiatives outlined in the plan. Strategy and Security Sector Reform Strategy The government’s failure to provide strategic has negatively impacted the government’s guidance has resulted in international partners ability to provide strategic direction for designing projects based on gaps they the reforms. have identified rather than the government’s The high turnover rate of high-level priorities. This has led to a fragmented government officials, including the country’s approach without adequate prioritisation and vice presidents and most recently the justice sequencing of the overall reform process. minister, has impeded the Security Sector The National Assembly’s rejection of the Reform Steering Committee’s capacity to Constitution Promulgation Bill, 2020, to hold a provide strategic and policy guidance. referendum to replace the 1997 Constitution, Frequent change of leadership, alongside is a major setback to the security sector funding deficits, has also affected the reform process. The current 1997 Constitution Department of Strategic Policy Delivery, which doesn’t provide a sufficient institutional or legal was established to monitor the implementation framework for security sector reform, and of the National Development Plan. As a some of the reform efforts are in violation of result the department has struggled to this Constitution. Recommendations For The Gambian government Re-establish the technical working group stabilisation processes. This could be done A clear opportunity in promoting coordination by stopping the frequent leadership changes, lies in re-establishing the technical working increasing funding and granting the department group. As the only previous platform to more political freedom by divorcing it from the provide a formalised role for civil society in Office of the President. security sector reform, re-establishing this mechanism to work alongside the Security For international implementation partners Sector Reform Steering Committee would Enhance political engagement strengthen civilian oversight and promote The main challenges to the progress of security citizen buy-in of the process. sector reform stem from the country’s political Fully operationalise the Department of dynamics. International implementation Strategic Policy Delivery partners must enhance high-level political The Department of Strategic Policy Delivery engagement to influence the strategic direction was established to monitor the implementation of the security sector reform process. Deeper of the National Development Plan. Full political engagement particularly in promoting operation of the department would address the constitutional review process is needed for the coordination gap across the different security sector reforms to be sustainable. 2 SECURITY SECTOR REFORM IN THE GAMBIA: WHAT IS AT STAKE? Introduction to coordinate SSR between national and international Since 2017, The Gambia’s government has been actors at a technical level. implementing extensive security sector reform (SSR) SSR is targeted at reforming the country’s eight security processes as part of national reconstruction efforts as institutions. These are the Gambia Armed Forces the country tries to recover from the consequences of (GAF), State Intelligence Services (formerly the National Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year rule. Intelligence Agency), Gambia Police Force (GPF), Drug Law Enforcement Agency Gambia (DLEAG), Gambia The departure of the former president in 2017 was a Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS), Gambia Prison Service pivotal moment for The Gambia. After ruling the West (GPS), Gambia Revenue Authority (Customs and Excise) African nation for 22 years, Jammeh lost the 2016 and Gambia Immigration Department. elections to opposition candidate Adama Barrow. During Jammeh’s tenure, security largely focused on regime protection, overlooking citizens’ rights and Security forces were often used as security needs. A 2015 Human Rights Watch report1 weapons against citizens and were cites numerous cases of enforced disappearances, implicated in human rights violations arbitrary arrests, torture and extra-judicial killings, most of which were perpetrated by the country’s Since 2018 a series of SSR initiatives have been intelligence services against suspected opponents of implemented with the help of international partners. the former president. These initiatives include developing policy frameworks This illustrates the use of security institutions as as well as reform efforts of the military, police and instruments serving Jammeh’s autocratic regime. intelligence services. Security forces were often used as weapons against Navigating SSR in The Gambia is a complex task citizens and were implicated in human rights violations.2 due to the multiplicity of SSR support programmes There was also limited alignment between the being implemented by numerous actors, from national constitutional mandates of security institutions and their stakeholders to bilateral partners, international civil effective functioning. To some degree, the security forces society and multilateral organisations. Relationships themselves became victims of Jammeh’s autocratic rule.3 among these various actors are complex, marked by insufficient coordination and often competing efforts.5 Security forces were severely under-resourced, in terms Coordination is therefore a recurring theme in this report. of capacity, finances and equipment. This led to a prevailing culture of inter-agency competition rather than Structure of the report cooperation, with limited information sharing and high In light of the country’s difficult past, The Gambia’s post- levels of suspicion among security institutions. autocratic transition requires substantial and tailor-made In this context, SSR in The Gambia has been developed SSR. It is critical to examine aspects of the reforms with the aim to institute enhanced accountability, so as to identify opportunities for ensuring effective professionalism and democratic civilian controls over the and efficient implementation and coordination. This country’s security forces. In particular, it was initiated report sets out to provide this analysis. Based on this to drive institutional transformation to align the security it also provides practical recommendations to various forces’ capabilities, capacities and structures to the stakeholders involved in The Gambia’s SSR processes. country’s security needs.4 The report is divided into three main sections. The first, To this end The Gambia’s government established the focusing on the actors, outlines the national structures SSR Steering Committee chaired by the justice minister and external actors partnering with the government. It to act as the project board of the SSR process at the also examines strategic and technical coordination within policy and strategic level. The Office of National Security the national structures, and between them and their headed by the National Security Adviser was established external supporters. WEST AFRICA REPORT 31 | NOVEMBER 2020 3 The second section focuses on the ‘how’ and the implementation phase. These are the assessment contextualises SSR in The Gambia by examining the reports, development of policy frameworks and three key developments that have set the stage for providing security. Box 1: The challenging nature of The Gambia’s conflict prevention and transition The complexities in implementing SSR in The Gambia tensions between him and the coalition since their are linked to the country’s challenging context. electoral victory. This has resulted in a high turnover Firstly, the remnants of the former autocratic state rate of high-level government officials, as evidenced by institutions are still present in The Gambia albeit in two major cabinet reshuffles and replacement of two a fragile state. This is typically the norm in contexts vice presidents, ministers and high-level officials by where SSR is conducted following a political Barrow in three years. 6 transition rather than a violent civil conflict. The first vice president, Fatoumata Tambajang, was In The Gambia, the security institutions from the replaced by Ousainou Darboe in 2018 who was Jammeh regime continued to exist with outlined subsequently replaced by Isatou Touray in 2019. The constitutional mandates – although they are first interior minister Mai Ahmad Fatty was replaced institutionally weak and lack credibility. In this context by Habib Saihou Drammeh in 2017, who in turn was the aim of SSR is to de-politicise security institutions replaced by Ebrima Mballow in 2019. and enhance civilian oversight mechanisms. The tensions between Barrow and the UDP finally The Gambia’s context hence limits the scope of came to a head