Banjul, 24 January 2018

IHRDA is organizing a two-day training of trainers’ workshop for The Gambia’s State Intelligence Services (the SIS), as part of an ongoing human rights capacity-building project for the corps.

The workshop that runs from 24-25 January 2018 brings together twenty-five Officers, who are receiving knowledge and skills to champion human rights education for officers and new recruits in the SIS.

Lors de l'ouverture de l'atelier, le directeur de la formation du SIS, Abdoulaye Sanno, a déclaré : « Les droits de l'homme n'avaient jamais été intégrés au programme de formation du Service de renseignement gambien ; les autorités ont donc jugé utile de solliciter l'aide d'institutions compétentes pour introduire l'enseignement des droits de l'homme au sein du Service… » M. Sanno a également souligné que « les services des personnes formées seront essentiels pour transmettre les connaissances aux recrues de la nouvelle académie de formation du SIS ».

It should be noted that this human rights capacity building program for the SIS was launched in September 2017. Other activities include two human rights workshops for eighty Officers, the participation of two SIS officers in a short human rights course in The UK, and the development of a human rights manual for the SIS. The two officers from the course in The UK are also serving as resource persons in this training of trainers’ workshop.

It is expected that this project will contribute significantly to inculcating and developing a human rights culture within the SIS. The project is funded by the British Embassy in Banjul.