Senegal’s National Gendarmerie has bolstered its presence in the country’s eastern region with the launch of new operational units in Tambacounda, Kédougou, and Saraya, APA learned on Saturday from official sources.
Inauguration ceremonies held on July 31 and August 1, 2025, were presided over by Minister of the Armed Forces General Birame Diop, alongside General Martin Faye, High Commander of the National Gendarmerie and Director of Military Justice.
The redeployment includes the Tambacounda Investigation Brigade, the Rapid Surveillance and Intervention Group (GARSI) in Saraya, the Saraya Gendarmerie Company—with its road and investigative brigades as well as a medical facility—the Kédougou Gendarmerie Legion and its research unit, and the Kédougou Company with its main territorial brigade and a highway patrol post in Mako.
This initiative is part of a broader national security strategy as jihadist threats increase in the region. A recent attack claimed by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) targeted Malian security forces near the Senegalese border, underscoring the risk of the violence spilling over.
At the same time, Senegalese security forces have ramped up a crackdown on illegal gold mining, which has been identified as a factor exacerbating local vulnerabilities. According to the Interior Minister, over 60 unauthorised gold mining sites have been dismantled in the past year.
The Minister of the Armed Forces emphasised the importance of building trust between defense forces and local communities. He also urged deployed units to demonstrate professionalism and strict adherence to the rule of law.
AC/lb/as/APA