December 1, 2016 ushered in a new dispensation in the eyes of many or so many Gambians thought. There was an air of optimism that things would be different; that the era of impunity is over forever; that the negative peace that Gambians were used to has finally disappeared. There was a palpable belief that this time things will be different, that positive peace that goes beyond the mere absence of physical violence but that peace of mind and thought is within reach. However, recent events or events across the country have awakened citizens to new and unprecedented dire security threats which have in turn created an atmosphere of fear and unease in the hearts and minds of many Gambians. Numerous reports appearing in various media and among the public have noted a dramatic increase in bloody murders, armed robberies, kidnappings, politically motivated ethnic clashes, seizures of weapons from private individuals and so on. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayIn fact, according to the Foroya newspaper of April 16, 2018, the Inspector General of the Gambia Police Force (IGP) has announced that they will reinstate checkpoints across the country in a bid to curb the rate increase of crime in the country. This comes in the context of the recent armed robbery at the Jah Oil petrol station in Brikama. Just recently, on April 4, 2018, the body of a Gambian army corporal was found in a well near Tanji village (ibid). These events represent a radical change from what The Gambia has been used to for the last 50-odd years. This article will attempt to identify some of the possible factors responsible for the evident collapse of security in this small West African nation. Peace and security have always been taken for granted by many Gambians, but the time has come for the government, which should have control over the coercive machinery of the state, to realize that maintaining the peace and security of any nation does not it's a fact, but it is. requires eternal vigilance. You might be tempted to ask: what is “security”? Security is not an absolute as it is nearly impossible and a constant challenge to keep sociopaths and other criminals at bay. The bad guys are constantly developing new strategies to defeat the security apparatus, so it is up to the government to be constantly on alert to protect citizens' lives and properties. Indeed, it is for this very reason of protecting our natural rights to life, liberty and property as postulated by Locke that we voluntarily surrender our rights to a higher authority (Government and State). In essence, if government fails to secure our lives, liberty, and property, then it has failed in its raison d'être. He violated the contract made with the people; he has not kept his promise and therefore can and must be removed by the citizens. To Emma Rothschild (1995) in her article entitled “What is security?” postulated that…security must be broadened from its traditional focus on the security of states to the security of people. The United Nations Development Program took as the main theme of its 1994 Human Development Report the transition “from nuclear security to human security”, or to the “fundamental concept of human security”, defined as security from “chronic threats such as hunger, disease and repression" and "protection from sudden and harmful upheavals". The UN Secretary-General called in 1995 to "go beyond armed territorial security" tostrengthen or protect “the safety of people in their homes, workplaces and communities.” In light of this, it is crucial that security stakeholders realize that the absence of full-scale large-scale conflict does not mean that security is guaranteed, as many Gambians have been experiencing since 2016. The problems of Gambia's security can be attributed to a number of factors as would be outlined in this document. The opinions expressed in this document are my opinions and not necessarily sacrosanct. Peace is the mother's milk of progress and therefore there can be no meaningful progress in the absence of a stable and peaceful environment. Gambia being a small country known for its peaceful atmosphere, it must not be allowed to degenerate into the Hobbesian state of nature where everyone wants to take care of everyone. There is no path to peace; peace is the way, as Mahatma Gandhi once said. So it is up to every Gambian, especially those who wield the coercive machinery of the state, to set things right. Many experts, political commentators and civilians have postulated over the years that the previous government was a dictatorial government. These thoughts and opinions became more pronounced in December 2016, when Yahya Jammeh's regime was ousted in a democratic sweep. Some argue that security is always fragile after the ouster of “dictatorships” and that the current security lapses are the result of this. It should be emphasized that dictatorships are heavy-handed regimes that overemphasize security and therefore repress any dissent or crime. However, since the 2016 elections there has been a notable increase in criminal activities, particularly armed robberies, murders, prosecutions, rapes and even kidnappings. This, as some argue, is the result of criminals feeling that this is the breakthrough they have been waiting for. This new government's lack of attention to security has provided fertile ground for criminals to flourish. The promise of democracy and the lack of heavy-handedness of the current regime only serve to embolden the misfits in society. However, the security problems cannot be attributed solely to the gap left by the previous regime because there are other culminating factors that have further highlighted the country's security problems. Dr Ceesay, a political analyst and lecturer at the University of The Gambia, at one point highlighted the fact that the presence of ECOMIG troops in the country will not prevent a long-term security risk unless President Barrow attempts to gain the trust and support of the Gambia Armed Forces. I am tempted to agree with him for the simple fact that the Gambian military is the long-term solution to our security challenges. Indeed, it would be fatal for the state if Gambian army officers were unhappy. The number of ECOMIG forces in the country is not sufficient to control all border posts and organize effective patrols to curb armed robberies. It is well known that the Gambia Police Service has never been and is never well equipped to effectively respond to the security needs of citizens. Therefore it is incumbent on President Barrow to be proactive in trying to gain the loyalty and support of Gambian army officers because a rogue army is dangerous. By the way, they are all Gambians and want the best for this country. Furthermore, the borders of this country are so loose that people can enter and exit without any proper control. Incorporating Gambian Army officers into the security fabric will help curb these problems at the borders. In essence, marginalizationof the Gambian Army has contributed to the increase in security problems, especially the crime rate in the country. It is arguable that the state's internal security is entrusted to the police, but frequent armed robberies have demonstrated that the police are incapable, through no fault of their own, of dealing with this threat. So the military could and should provide assistance during these difficult times. What happens when a serious lack of security is combined with poverty, unemployment, drugs, poor education and deportations? It's a recipe for disaster if you're not careful. Countries like the Philippines, Colombia, Brazil and others have a never-ending drug and gun problem. Security in some regions of these countries is a nightmare and this is a result of unemployment, drugs and lack of security, no education and poverty. Gambia has a high unemployment rate especially among the youth, poverty is rampant, marijuana is the first and last order of business among the unemployed and deported youth who struggle to reach Europe in search of greener pastures. It is logical that in most countries with high crime rates, the most obvious reasons recognized by criminals themselves are poverty, unemployment, poor education and drugs. The current government cannot ignore the fierce urgency of the moment. The government must create an enabling environment for the youth to thrive as they form the majority in this country. This is especially important in the case of deportees who have been frustrated with and with the system for years. Frustration leads to anger and that's when people look for places or objects to vent their anger on. This can be seen in the increase in crime rate and other social vices. Politicians' inexperience and indecisiveness encourage criminals. Politics is an art but unfortunately most of our politicians do not understand how politics is played. We have repeatedly encountered indecision on the part of politicians when events occur that require a position to be taken. Whether this is due to incompetence or lack of political will is up for interpretation. Politics in Africa is so bad that most of the time it does not attract our best men and women, but instead we see kleptocracies and kakistocratic regimes. Most of the time in Africa it is about the blind (politicians) leading the incapable (mafia). The new government needs to look beyond its own nose and start being more decisive about the future of this country. The Gambia and Gambians need to be more hands-on people rather than people willing to offer help, and that starts with our leaders. We have repeatedly seen our leaders go around begging other countries and institutions for funds and that is just sad. Now is the time to focus on rebuilding from within and understand that development cannot come from outside. “Memory through learning” these are the words written at the entrance to the Kigali Genocide Museum and indeed they have learned and everyone else should learn from them. Traveling to Rwanda has been an experience for the ages. Rwandans today don't talk about tribes at all because the 1994 genocide serves as a painful reminder of what tribal conflict can unleash. Nowadays in little Gambia we see people and political parties clashing over tribal differences. Every now and then there is a disturbance of the peace because some madman cannot look beyond his immature mind because if he did, he would realize that politics is not a matter of life and death but a competition of ideas. Furthermore, poverty is poverty, whether you are Jola, Wolof or Mandinka, poor education, healthcare systems, bad roads affect us the same. In fact on page 2.