BANJUL, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The continuous stay of ECOMIG forces in Gambia is needed for the country's security sector reforms, Gambia's re-elected President Adama Barrow said on Tuesday.
During his first press conference convened in the State House after his re-election, Barrow said that people are misunderstanding the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Mission in The Gambia, also known as ECOMIG.
The mission was not just to get the former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh out, but can also promote reforms in the security sector, he said, noting that the sector was "really polluted."
Barrow said his government has been downsizing the army, and training to standardize and professionalise it while drafting security strategies and military policies to ensure the creation of modern armed forces.
"Right now, most of the State Guards, we are training them outside and we still don't get the numbers we need for the State House. We are still limited," Barrow said. Hence, ECOMIG could be a back-up force throughout the reform process.
The ECOMIG forces consist of various military troops from Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria who were deployed in 2016 to restore the will of the Gambian people following Yahya Jammeh's refusal to relinquish power in January after his election defeat. Enditem
