Taiwan to bolster Gambia’s naval fleet
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Friday, June 29, 2012

Taiwan says it will donate three patrol boats to The Gambia to help combat
illegal maritime activity and enhance its coastal defenses with the
delivery set to take place early next year, Hsu Mien-sheng,
director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of African
Affairs said Thursday.


The decision to donate the craft to The Gambia came after one of four
50-ton boats previously given by Taiwan suffered serious damage, Hsu
Mien-sheng, director-general of the ministry's Department of African
Affairs, told a news briefing on Thursday as the five-day state visit by
the Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh
progresses.


The boats, about 10m long and each equipped with a 12.7mm caliber
machinegun, will be available to be delivered to the Gambia by early next
year, Hsu said.


He said that the patrol boats will replace the four Seagull-class craft
that Taiwan donated to the Gambia previously, which will be used as
training ships as they are considered by Taiwan’s military personnel to be
no longer capable of engaging in maritime patrols saying these new, smaller
patrol boats are more agile and consume less fuel. The armed small patrol
boats are being refitted by the Ministry of National Defense before being
shipped to The Gambia, Hsu added.


Hsu stated that President Jammeh will today, Friday, attend the graduation
ceremony of Taiwan's military academies in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Hsu
said. “At the ceremony, President Ma Ying-jeou is set to present a model of
the donated patrol boats to President Jammeh, which will include three
graduates from The Gambia” Hsu added.

Hsu further indicated that the three patrol boats have been previously
deployed off Kinmen and Matsu and have been undergoing restoration since
President Ma granted the donation after the issue was brought up during his
visit to the Gambia in April.


Aside from receiving an honorary doctorate from the National Taipei
University of Technology in Taipei on Wednesday, President Jammeh will
attend the commencement ceremony to congratulate three Gambian students who
have completed student exchange programs at the nation’s military and naval
academies this year.


President Jammeh, who is leading a delegation of 76 officials and ministers
arrived in Taipei on Tuesday for a five-day state visit and earlier met
President Ma to exchange views on international affairs and other issues of
mutual concern," the foreign ministry stated.


Author: *Daily Observer*
Source: *Central News Agency (CNA) of Taiwan*


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