BANJUL, Sept 12 (Xinhua) -- The Gambian President Adama Barrow on Tuesday launched the National Security Sector Reform process that will take a duration of 18 months, at a ceremony held at State House in Fajara.
Barrow said it was clear to him since the beginning that his government was inheriting a security sector that is deeply politicized and not responsive to the needs of the people.
"The security sector for the past 22 years has been molded mainly to focus on in entrenching the former regime and some elements were largely used by the regime to carry out atrocities against the people they were supposed to protect," he said.
Barrow said the UN has provided them with three million U.S. dollars for the security sector reform and the capacity building process.
Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel, said Tuesday's launch is a concrete and essential turning point in the construction of a new Gambia.
Since January, the West African forces have been guarding the president and the most important state properties due to the lack of trust in the Gambia security forces.
