Barrow appoints New CDS

President Adama Barrow has announced a major reshuffle within the top command of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF), appointing new leadership across key military positions with immediate effect.

Acting under the powers vested in him by Section 190(1A) of the 1997 Constitution, the President promoted and reassigned four senior officers in what appears to be a strategic reorganisation of the country’s military hierarchy.

Major General Ousman Gomez, who had been serving in an acting capacity, has now been confirmed as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), solidifying his position as the highest-ranking officer in the GAF.

Brigadier General Sait Njie, formerly Commander of The Gambia National Army, has been elevated to the position of Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, placing him second in command of the armed forces.

In a corresponding shift, Brigadier General Yaya Drammeh, who previously commanded the Republican National Guards (RNG), has been reassigned as Commander of The Gambia National Army.

Meanwhile, Colonel Alhagie Sanneh has been recalled from his diplomatic posting as Defence Attaché at The Gambia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York and appointed as the new Commander of the Republican National Guards.

The appointments take immediate effect, marking a significant leadership transition within the GAF at a time when the military continues to play a critical role in national security and institutional reform.