Mohamed Coulibally, program officer at the Economic Community of West African States Small Arms Programme (ECOSAP), has renewed the regional body's continued commitment towards supporting the operational activities of the National Commission on Small Arms (NATCOM) Gambia, by equipping and renovating its secretariat.

He commended the government of The Gambia for allocating them with an office space for the secretariat. According to him, this will help NATCOM in enhancing the effective services and easy facilitation of its official duties in correspondence with its partners in other parts of the continent. Coulibally said that ECOSAP will also facilitate training for NATCOM Gambia members, to enable them understand issues of small arms proliferation within the continent.
Coulibally was reacting to reports delivered by Maudo Touray, permanent secretary, ministry of Interior, who doubles as the chairman of NATCOM-Gambia, on the status of the local office, during the two day cluster meetings of the ECOSAP, held at the Jerma Beach Hotel in Banjul from June 23 to 24.

Chairman Touray had informed the meeting that the National Assembly had ratified the NATCOM Bill on small arms, and that the president of the Republic had assented to it. He added that during the past six months, they had convened four meetings with the active participation of its members. At these meetings, he added, the members discussed the national survey and studies as well as funding by NATCOM.

Chairman Touray, however, went on to say that they have also had series of challenges such as accessibility to funds and lack of a database on small arms and light weapons. He indicated that civil society involvement in small arms and light weapons campaign is limited, and he recommended active support from ECOSAP, UNDP and other development partners in the operationalization of the activities of NATCOM.