The Chief of Defense Staff, Lt. General Mamat O. Cham
By Fatou Sillah
The Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Lt. General Mamat O. Cham, has assured the victims of the Brikama Sandika fire that the government will provide them with the necessary support to recover from the disaster. Speaking during a visit to the affected site, General Cham emphasized that authorities would investigate the cause of the fire and implement preventive measures to avoid future occurrences.
“We are going to investigate the cause of the fire so that when we are building the place again we will put measures so that something like this will not happen again things like this happen but by the will of God the government in no time will bring aid to the affected victims of the fire so that they can start their business recovery soon,” General Cham stated.
The CDS was among several senior government officials who visited the scene to express their sympathy and solidarity with the victims. He also pledged support to the Chairman of the Brikama Area Council.
“This is very sad. That is why we came here today to join the chairman, to sympathize with you, and to see the extent of damage. When these types of incidents happen, we take the names of the affected individuals. The chairman told us that this is the biggest food store in the country to make sure that people do not face a lot of challenges as we are going to try and locate a place where you can continue your business,” he added.
National Security Adviser Sulayman Jeng, who was also part of the delegation, conveyed President Adama Barrow’s sympathy and commitment to supporting those affected.
“When we heard about the fire this morning, the president asked us to come to join the Brikama Area Council to sympathize with you during this trying time. The work that happens in the Sandinka does not only affect Brikama but the whole country. So when this happens, it will affect everyone. It is too early for us to say the cause of the fire; we are going to do all we can to know the cause of the fire to help prevent further incidents,” Jeng said.