By Fatou Sowe
he Minister of Defence Hon. Sering Modou Njie recently received in the audience the head of the regional delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mrs. Valentina Bernasconi and delegation at the Ministry in Banjul. The International Committee of the Red Cross is an independent and neutral organisation ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for the victims of war and armed violence.
Mrs. Valentina Bernasconi registered profound appreciation for the warm reception accorded her and the delegation.
Giving an overview of the organisation’s activities, the head of the delegation stated the aims and objectives of the ICRC, under- scored the significance of the organization and highlighted their numerous interventions in crucial areas of humanitarian work in the sub-region.
ICRC, in collaboration with the Red Cross Society in The Gambia, has over the years facilitated numerous capacity building programmes for personnel of The Gambia Armed Forces. This is done in a view to enhancing their knowledge in the domain of humanitarian work and peace building.
Mrs Bernasconi expressed optimism for future collaborations and stronger partner ships between the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Ministry of Defence of The Gambia.
The Minister of Defence, Hon. Sering Modou Njie for his part thanked Mrs Bernasconi and the team for the timely visit and applauded the ICRC and partners for their impeccable record of service delivery in the sub-region.
“Humanitarian assistance is immensely valuable and indispensable in conflict-affected areas. It is quite commendable that the committee also focuses on capacitating personnel of GAF and other security forces in the country,” Minister Njie posited.
He finally assured of his Ministry’s unflinching support and continual collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross.
