By: Rupa Seenaraine
Chief-of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Godfrey Bess today gave his strong assurances that all resources necessary will be deployed to protect the country’s exclusive economic zone.
Giving his address at the annual GDF conference which is ongoing at the National Cultural Center, the Army Chief took note of the fact that external threats have occurred in worrisome proportions, signalling the need for greater intervention of the military.
While Guyana has pledged to use diplomacy as its first line of defence against these threats, the GDF Head contended that the Force will seek to enhance its patrols on all fronts: land, water and air.
“We must be cognizant that the possibility of internal threats continue to exist while external threats have taken on what could be described as worrisome proportions, where physical incursions have occurred in our exclusive economic zone to the extend that Guyanese fisherfolks have been illegal intercepted…Guyana’s entire exclusive economic zone must be protected at all costs,” the Army Chief declared.
Venezuelan authorities had on January 21 illegally intercepted two Guyanese fishing vessels which were operating in the Exclusive Economic Zone. The Venezuelan authorities had also illegally detained the 12-member crew and held them for two weeks. The Guyanese fishermen were released, after mounting calls from the international community and efforts exerted by President Dr Irfaan Ali.
Meanwhile, the Chief-of-Staff highlighted a few areas which pose new threats to the country. Bess said the Force must be better equipped to detected and mitigate these new security issues.
“We also have significant challenges with new and emerging transnational threats as we combat global narcotrafficking, trafficking in persons, continuous illegal crossing of our borders, migration crisis and we’ve also seen the discovery of illegal airstrips in our territory,” he explained.
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Dr Irfaan Ali, who delivered the feature address, spoke of the transformation which will take place in order to build a smarter Defence Force. These plans will be guided by a National Defence Policy and supported by four different pillars.
Ali expressed that “A stronger Force does not necessarily mean a larger Force. We’re building a smarter Defence Force, with emphasis on increased use of technology and intelligence so that we can know what is occurring on our borders and within our territorial sea and exclusive economic zone. We’ll be enhancing the capabilities of the Force to respond to threats to our territory and our people, including responses to emergencies and natural disasters.”
