Gambians are split on whether the ECOWAS Military Intervention in the Gambia (ECOMIG) should leave and let the Gambia Armed Forces and Police take charge of security matters in the country, Afrobarometer’s inaugural national survey in the country reveals.
The call for ECOMIG to leave is highest in West Coast and among the youth. Regarding security issues, the study also shows that about four in 10 Gambians say they have felt unsafe in their neighbourhood or have had something stolen from their homes during the past year, while more than half have feared various forms of violence. Though a majority say the Gambia Armed Forces protect the country from security threats, more than a third say they do not have the resources they need to be effective.
The ECOMIG troops were deployed in the Gambia as part of an international response to ensure respect for the results of the country’s 2016 presidential election.