By Adama Makasuba
Justice minister Abubacarr Tambadou, has said that the tiny West African nation has too many challenges and government cannot in three years resolve all of them to the satisfaction of everyone.
“So our transition from dictatorship to democracy will continue to be fraught with challenges especially in governance but we are determined to succeed,” he said on Saturday at the opening of the Legal Year in Banjul.
He added: “ We are on course to set a solid foundation for a modern democratic society anchored upon respect for the rule of law and human rights, and we will do everything possible as a responsible Government to consolidate these newly found freedoms and democratic gains which too many have fought and died for.”
According to him, one of the biggest challenges to the country’s democratic reform process lies in security sector reform.
“There is continuing mistrust between ordinary citizens and our men and women in uniform in spite of the best efforts of individual law enforcement agencies to change their approach to law enforcement.
“It is clear that there is an urgent need for a coordinated, efficient and quick security sector reform process and we encourage the general public to exercise more patience and understanding as this is a complex process that requires tact, professionalism, and care,” he pointed out.
Tambadou told compatriots that they must also recognise that a complete institutional transformation of country’s law enforcement agencies will require a longer and more focused effort and the government is determined to see this reform through.
He said, as the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Security Sector Reform, he has extended an invitation to the United Nations to assist with coordinating all the different complementary efforts of their bilateral and multilateral friends and allies in this process, and he hopes to see more progress in the course of this year.
Addressing the gathering, President Adama Barrow reaffirmed his government’s commitment in establishing and strengthening the judiciary system saying “from the outset, let me reaffirm the premium my government places on the establishment and strengthening of a credible Justice system in The Gambia”.
He gave the assurance of his government’s commitment to maintain an efficient, respectable and robust legal system.
President Barrow called for more work to be done in the legal sector saying “I have observed for example the crime rate and the desire for violence among a section of the youth especially crime of sexual violence against women and girls.”
He flagged the backlog and slow handling of court cases, saying there is the need to step up performance in these areas to maintain public confidence in the judiciary