The State Intelligence Service (SIS), which has replaced the defunct NIA on Wednesday 3rd May 2017 graduated
its first batch of recruits at the Service’s Headquarters in Banjul. According to officials, this is in conformity with its current transformation and restructuring phase, geared towards repositioning, refocusing, recasting and calibrating this noble institution, to ensure a secure strong government, and a safe and stable country,
The graduation ceremony which was presided over by the SIS Director General (DG) Mr. Ousman Sowe marked the end of a six week training course covering subject areas pertinent to the day-to-day functions of the Service. The ceremony was graced by the Deputy Director General, line Directors and staff of the SIS.
During the course of the training recruits were taught on relevant subject matters such as Gender and Gender mainstreaming, Human Rights issues including the conventions on the rights of women and children, Refugee protection, Counter terrorism and Counter Espionage techniques, map reading, etc., in addition to the Service’s core mandate of defending the national security interest of the Gambia as a nation. The course also addressed the three major components of the learning process such as attitudes, skills, and knowledge with regards to intelligence operations and coherent with upholding and promoting peace, prosperity, freedom and democracy for all, consistent with the values enshrined in the Constitution.
The Director General Mr. Ousman Sowe, said that the SIS training curriculum has been designed to inculcate the core values of loyalty, dedication, commitment, and professionalism in the delivery of the Service’s core constitutional mandate.
He emphasized in his statement at the ceremony that whereas previously the emphasis on the use of Intelligence was on the security of the state and the survival of the regime, now there is a strong emphasis on human security and human rights and freedoms as enshrined in the constitution.
It could be recalled that soon after the assumption of office President Barrow renamed the defunct National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to the State Intelligence Service (SIS). According to the Director General the president is delivering on his promise of reforming and restructuring the Gambia’s Intelligence Service to make it a vibrant national security institution that is functional to the interest of the entire Gambian nation without prejudice.
He asserted that it is against this background that the SIS is engaged in not only training new recruits but also conducting in-house and on-the-job training of its staff in a bid to galvanizing the institution’s reform and restructuring agenda.
