DEFENCE MINISTER APPEALS FOR DE-ESCALATION IN GAMBIA-SENEGAL BORDER TENSION

The Minister of Defense Baboucarr Joof has called for restraint and de-escalation in the ongoing border crisis between Gambia and Senegal describing the issue as a “complex and complicated” matter that requires cooperation and collaboration to resolve. 

Joof said there is a land border management commission established by both countries to work on border demarcation and work started before the Bulock incident.

“This is a process. It is not an event. One thing leads to another. Senegal share borders with other countries and they did similar exercises with the them before coming to us, So obviously they may have experience on issues we may not and that is why we have a joint commission for us to share notes, and work together and that work has been ongoing for years,” Minister Joof told The Standard yesterday.

He further disclosed that capacity building for Gambian officials involved in the process is already ongoing and some international partners have provided experts who will be coming to provide technical training on the proposed border demarcation and delineation exercise between the two countries.

“This is an international exercise. This is not the first time border issues have brought conflict between countries and that is why we are avoiding it. But I want to assure Gambians that we will get out of this and there will come a day when we will have established borders clear to everybody. But until this process is completed, we need to restrain ourselves, de-escalate and understand that this can only be resolved through cooperation and collaboration,” Joof stated.

Asked about the reported incursion of Senegalese soldiers in other parts of the country including Saloum where farmers were allegedly told by the Senegalese forces to vacate their farm lands they perceived are within Senegal, Minister Joof neither confirmed nor deny such a development but acknowledged that there are issues around land tenure rights between the two countries, all of which he said will be addressed by the commission.

“Some Gambians have their farms inside Senegalese territory and the other way round because local farmers have been living like this for centuries long before the borders were created. But within this exercise, the commission is doing, we have what is called tenure rights and we will get to that level after the demarcation, delineation and densification. When we reach the issue of tenure rights, those territories will be identified, established and brought to the executive for some decision making. So these are processes and that is why it is important that all of us exercise maximum restraint. Let us restrain ourselves. Let us take things easy and understand that it is a process and we are dealing with another sovereign state; we cannot dictate to them just as they too cannot dictate to us on matters in our respective countries. That is why we have a joint commission under the supervision of the Senegalo-Gambia permanent secretariat who are fully involved in this.”