Bangladesh, The Gambia signs declaration for co-deployment of troops in UN mission

Bangladesh and The Gambia today signed "Joint Political Declaration" for co-deployment of Bangladeshi and Gambian troops in UN peacekeeping mission subject to approval from the United Nations.

The declaration was signed by Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and visiting Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara before a bilateral meeting at the state guest house Jamuna.

"We are happy that Gambia will join us in co-deployment of troops in some of the future UN peacekeeping missions. We will take the Gambian peacekeepers along with ours," Foreign Minister Momen told reporters after the signing ceremony.

He said signing the joint political declaration was part of South-South cooperation that the developing countries aspire to boost.

Currently, Bangladesh has about 7,000 UN peacekeepers, making it a major troops-sending country to the UN missions. So far, a total of 1.84 lakh Bangladeshi peacekeepers served in the UN missions.

The Gambia, in comparison, has a small share of UN peacekeepers, which is less than 100.

Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara said it was a matter of pleasure that the two countries signed a political declaration for co-deploying peacekeepers in the UN missions.

"This will be a triangular cooperation including the two countries and the UN. We want to learn from Bangladesh," he said.

The small West African country came to the limelight when The Gambia filed a genocide case against Myanmar with the International Court of Justice, less than two years after the largest Rohingya influx to Bangladesh from Myanmar.

Foreign Minister Momen said The Gambia has set an expel by standing beside the persecuted Rohingya and that the two countries want to continue to cooperate in multilateral forums as well as in boosting bilateral trade.

Asked about the Rohingya genocide case at the ICJ, the Gambian minister said all countries, media and activists should raise their voice for Rohingya justice.

He sought international support to continue the ICJ case and advance the sustainable repatriation of the Rohingya.