Yankuba Drammeh | |
|---|---|
| Chief of the Defence Staff | |
| Assumed office 5 March 2020 | |
| President | Adama Barrow |
| Preceded by | Lt-Gen. Masaneh Kinteh |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  The Gambia |
| Branch/service |  Gambian National Army |
| Rank |  Lieutenant general |
| Commands | Chief of the Defence Staff Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff |
Lieutenant General Yankuba Drammeh is a Gambian military officer who is the current Chief of the Defence Staff of the Gambia.
At the time of the 1994 coup d'état,executed by Yahya Jammeh,Drammeh was a Second Lieutenant in the Gambian Army. Like many other officers not involved in the coup,he was detained in the Mile II Central Prison but later released and restored to his previous role. [1]
Drammeh was a brigadier general and Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff prior to his dismissal from the army by Yahya Jammeh on 30 November 2009. He was arrested and detained while links to Lang Tombong Tamba's alleged attempted coup were explored. He was cleared of any wrongdoing and was re-instated on 2 December 2009 as a major general in his previous role. In February 2010,he was reassigned from the military to the diplomatic service,first as Deputy Ambassador to Turkey and then as Consul-General in New York. [2]
On 29 June 2015,Drammeh was again reinstated as a Major General and Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff,filling a role that had been left vacant since the dismissal of Saikou Seckan in 2013. [2] During the 2016 presidential election campaign,an editorial in The Gambia Echo noted the closeness of Drammeh to Jammeh's campaign,asking why critics were "totally oblivious to General Drammeh’s close proximity" to Jammeh. [1] In March 2020,he was appointed as the CDS.
The Gambia,officially the Republic of The Gambia,is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland Africa and is surrounded by Senegal,except for its western coast on the Atlantic Ocean. The Gambia is situated on both sides of the lower reaches of The Gambia River,the nation's namesake,which flows through the centre of The Gambia and empties into the Atlantic Ocean,and elucidates the long shape of the country. It has an area of 11,300 square kilometres (4,400 sq mi) with a population of 1,857,181 as of the April 2013 census. Banjul is The Gambian capital and the country's largest metropolitan area,while the largest cities are Serekunda and Brikama.
Politics of The Gambia takes place within the framework of a presidential republic,whereby the President of The Gambia is both head of state and head of government,and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliaments.
The Gambia Armed Forces,also known as the Armed Forces of The Gambia,consists of three branches:the Gambia National Army (GNA),the Gambia Navy,and the Republican National Guard (RNG). It formerly included the Gambia National Gendarmerie (GNG) from the 1980s to 1996,when they were moved under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior. The commander-in-chief is the president of the Gambia who is currently Adama Barrow,whereas practical control is exercised by the Chief of the Defence Staff who is currently Lieutenant General Yankuba Drammeh.
Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh is a Gambian politician and former military officer who was the leader of The Gambia from 1994 to 2017,firstly as chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) from 1994 to 1996 and then as President of the Gambia from 1996 to 2017.
Kukoi Samba Sanyang was a Gambian politician and leader of the unsuccessful 1981 coup d'état against the government of Dawda Jawara.
The Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) gained control of Gambia in July 1994,in a military coup d'état. The AFPRC deposed the Dawda Jawara government and banned opposition political activity. Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh,chairman of the AFPRC,became head of state. A few months later,Captain Sadibou Hydara,who was the spokesperson of the AFPRC,and Captain Sabali,deputy leader of the AFPRC,were accused by Jammeh of plotting a coup. Both men were arrested and detained at the maximum prison. Captain Hydara was tortured and killed in prison. It was believed that Captain Hydara who was the most educated among the original members of the AFPRC was in favor of returning the country to civilian rule,and strongly objected to Jammeh's candidacy.
Lang Tombong Tamba was the Chief of the Defense Staff of the Gambian Armed Forces until his arrest,detention and trial in an attempted coup.
Sadibou Hydara was an important Gambian military and political leader who served in various international peacekeeping operations. He later served as the Gambia's Minister of Interior and government spokesman.
Adama Barrow is a Gambian politician and real estate developer who has served as President of the Gambia since 2017.
The State Intelligence Services (SIS),formerly the National Intelligence Agency (NIA),is the intelligence agency of the Gambia. It was founded following the 1994 military coup d'état by the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (APRFC),which was led by Yahya Jammeh. Its current head is Ousman Sowe.
The Gambian constitutional crisis occurred following presidential elections in December 2016,in which challenger Adama Barrow achieved an upset victory over longtime incumbent Yahya Jammeh. It eventually concluded after a military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) led to Jammeh’s departure from the country.
Ousman Badjie was the Chief of the Defence Staff and of the Army of the Gambia,and Lieutenant-General in the Gambian Army,having succeeded Masaneh Kinteh to the position. He was removed from his position in March 2017.
Masaneh Nyuku Kinteh is a retired Gambian Army officer who served as Chief of the Defence Staff until his removal on 5 March 2020 by President Adama Barrow. He was the Gambian Chief of Mission in Havana,Cuba,from 2012 to 2017,and was previously Chief of the Defence Staff from 2009 to 2012. He was retired with the rank of lieutenant general in 2012,having previously also served as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff in 2009,and shifted to the Foreign Service. He was reinstated as the Chief of Defence Staff in 2017 but redeployed him to the Foreign Service in 2020,becoming the ambassador to China.
Sheikh Omar Faye is the Gambian ambassador to Mauritania. Prior to this position,he was Gambian Minister of Defence,as well as a former diplomat who served as the Gambian Ambassador to the United States from 2015 to 2016,and an athlete who represented the Gambia in the 1984 Olympic games.
Momodou Alieu Bah is a former Gambian senior army officer,who served as Yahya Jammeh's last Minister of the Interior. Bah served as Minister of the Interior from 19 September 2016 to 18 January 2017,when he resigned as a result of the constitutional crisis.
Lamin K. Saine is a Gambian politician and former security official who is one of five nominated members of the National Assembly appointed by President Yahya Jammeh following the 2012 parliamentary election. Saine also served as Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency from 2012 to 2013.
The Chief of the Defence Staff in the Gambia is the head of the Gambia Armed Forces,and is appointed by the President.
Yankuba Badjie was Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency under former President Yahya Jammeh from December 2013 to 2016.
Mamadou Tangara is a Gambian diplomat and politician who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2018,having previously served in 2012 and from 2010–2012. Tangara also served as Gambian Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2017–2018 and from 2013–2016.
Amie Ndoungou Drammeh Bensouda is a Gambian lawyer and politician. She was the first female Solicitor General of the Gambia and served as Attorney General and Minister of Justice following the 1994 coup that brought Yahya Jammeh to power. Bensouda is a member of the London Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (CIArB) and a trained mediator. She was also two-term President of the Gambia Bar Association.