On 28th April 2026, the Deputy Head of Mission of the European Union to The Gambia, Raphaรซl Brigandi, joined national authorities, including the Minister of Interior and the Minister of Justice, as well as key partners, for the official launch of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) under the WAPIS Programme (West African Police Information System). The event also marked the inauguration of the renovated Criminal Records Office of the Technical and Scientific Police.
In his statement, Deputy Head of Mission Raphaรซl Brigandi underscored the European Unionโs commitment to strengthening security systems across West Africa, noting:
โ๐โ๐ ๐ธ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐ด๐น๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐โ๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐. ๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ โ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ .โ
He further highlighted the practical impact of the system, adding:
โ๐๐๐กโ ๐ด๐น๐ผ๐, ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐โ๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ข๐ ๐ก.โ
Through the WAPIS Programme implemented by INTERPOL and supported by ECOWAS, the European Union continues to strengthen Gambiaโs forensic and investigative capacities, contributing to more effective crime prevention and regional security cooperation.
