The Gambia's chief of defence staff resigned on Friday following graft allegations that sparked sweeping criticism in the poor west African country.Corruption accusations targeting Lieutenant General Mamat O. A. Cham emerged two days ago, including swapping a military vehicle for land and accepting funds for a trip to China by his wife.
The Gambian presidency said Cham "was stepping down following numerous allegations of misconduct and abuse of office".
The Gambia experienced several years of brutal dictatorship under former president Yahya Jammeh.
Jammeh lost power after being unexpectedly defeated in the 2016 presidential election by Adama Barrow, who was re-elected in 2021 and has vowed to clean up the administration.
The smallest mainland state in Africa, The Gambia ranked 99th out of 182 countries in 2025 on the Corruption Perceptions Index published by the NGO Transparency International.
