BANJUL, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The Gambian President Adama Barrow on Monday addressed the National Assembly on the state of security, financial situation, and international relations that have been pegged over the past decades.
He said the government is working on reforming the security sector which is closely linked to the delivery of justice and the restoration of free and fair democracy.
"The Gambian Armed Forces are now confined to their military barracks. Members of the former State Guard Battalion have been redeployed to other units, and the armed forces are now disengaged from civilian matters," Barrow said, stressing that "it is also important to note that arms and ammunitions have been stored in safe locations".
The president thanked ECOWAS for providing ECOMIG forces to protect the country.
On finance, president Barrow said his government has inherited a virtually empty treasury and domestic and foreign debts at an all-time high.
"The foreign reserve at the Central Bank was less than one month import cover, and the economic and governance situation had become so bad that our international development partners had deserted us," he said.
Barrow said his government developed in January the Accelerated National Response Plan which seeks technical and financial support from development partners to help mitigate the economic and fiscal crisis in the short term.
Meanwhile, on the area of foreign affairs, he informed that the Gambia has begun the process of rejoining the Commonwealth, and reaffirmed the membership to the International Criminal Court.
The Gambia's Constitution provides that a sitting president should address the national assembly at least once a year and this is his first time to appear before the members of the parliament following his election in December.
