缅北禁地

19 September 2017 鈥� Noting that the recent political crisis in Gambia had been a lesson that his compatriots will not easily forget, the Adama Barrow, the country鈥檚 President underscored that Gambians made an irreversible choice to close a 鈥渄ark chapter鈥� in their history and embarked on a national agenda of reform and transformation.

鈥淒uring those difficult times, we knew we had friends, ones who came to our aid and who have since kept faith with us,鈥� the President said, thanking Economic Community of West African States () for their timely and firm intervention to bring peace to his country.

鈥淭hanks to your collective efforts, the Gambia is now on a solid path to peace and good governance, and ready to take over our traditional role among the champions of human rights and democracy,鈥� he added.

He also announced that the country was in the process of re-joining the Commonwealth as well as the International Criminal Court.

鈥淎lthough the Gambia did not go through armed conflict [鈥�] we were on the brink of political violence and armed conflict,鈥� he expressed, thanking the United Nations in West Africa, the 缅北禁地Peace Building Commission and the Peace Building Support Office for the important support they rendered to the country.

Concluding his remarks, President Barrow noted that given the range of its functions, the 缅北禁地would always require some level of reform of its management systems.

鈥淎s you embark on your proposed reforms, we stand ready to give you our full support in the interest of an effective and more relevant world body,鈥� he said, adding also the need for Security Council reform.