Members of the Security subcommittee of the OICGambia Local Organization Committee have on Thursday returned from the Republic of Turkey where they underwent a high-level intensive training in Security Planning and Management for International Events and Conferences. 

The capacity-building activity was held under a technical assistance programme between the brotherly governments of The Gambia and the Republic of Turkey. Participants, numbering eleven (11), were drawn from the army, police, intelligence, fire and rescue service, aviation security, drug law enforcement agency, among others. 

‘‘The mission was a training of trainers. During our stay in Ankara, we were exposed to modern trends and techniques in counterterrorism, aviation security, explosive detection, and disposal, among other crucial themes’’, said the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of The Gambia OIC Secretariat, Essa Bokarr Sey, who traveled with the delegation. 

‘‘The training will significantly enhance our ongoing planning and operations for the Summit by a huge margin.’’

Security is a critical element of the ongoing preparation for the OIC Heads of State and Government Summit scheduled to take place in Banjul in 2022. In its effort to strengthen the capacity and capabilities of the country’s security forces, the OIC Secretariat continues to facilitate the provision of security apparatuses/gears and capacity-building opportunities. Equipping the police will keep the streets of The Gambia safe before, during, and after the summit. 

Similarly, on Monday, the Secretariat launched a counter-terrorism training for 50 members of the police and other security services at the PIU headquarters in Kanifing.