By Fatou Sillah
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Multi-Country Representative, Ali Mahamat, paid a courtesy call to His Excellency President Adama Barrow at the State House in Banjul.
The Dakar-based UNHCR office oversees operations in The Gambia, Benin, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Sierra Leone, Cabo Verde, and Senegal. The visit aimed to update President Barrow on the ongoing operations in The Gambia and to express gratitude for the government’s continued support.
Speaking to the press after the meeting, Ali Mahamat highlighted the strong partnership between UNHCR and The Gambia, particularly with the Gambian Refugee Commission and the Gambia Food and Nutrition Association. He emphasized UNHCR’s commitment to finding durable solutions for refugees and stateless persons in the country.
“We had a fruitful meeting with the President to express our gratitude to the government of The Gambia for the support that the government continues to give to the Gambian Refugee Commission, which is our main partner, as well as the Gambia Food and Nutrition Association. We are working closely to find durable solutions for refugees and stateless persons in The Gambia.” Mahamat stated.
He also noted ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening the legal framework and improving asylum spaces in The Gambia.
“There are also a lot of reforms going on, one of them is the strengthening of the legal framework to also strengthen and improve asylum space in the Gambia. So we make ourselves available and assure how we are continuing to support the government, especially our partners who are working closely with us in terms of capacity building,” Mahamat added.
Karl Frederick Paul, the United Nations Resident Representative in The Gambia, also spoke following the meeting, assuring President Barrow of the UN’s continued support.
“We had a great pleasure to meet his Excellency President Adama Barrow for a very fruitful conversation with our delegation. We assured him and the government of the Gambia of the availability of the United Nations to continue to really support the rights of the refugees but also to support the Gambia in addressing the questions in a durable and sustainable manner,” Paul said.