Editing Gambia Armed Forces (section)

=== Senegambia Confederation (1981–1989) ===
A few months following the coup, the [[Kaur Declaration]] was signed, which created the [[Senegambia Confederation]]. A necessary element of this was the formation of a Gambian military, which came into existence following the Gambia Armed Forces Act 1985. Jawara emphasized that the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) should be kept "as small as possible". Initially, it consisted of the Gambia National Army (GNA) and the Gambia National Gendarmerie (GNG). The GNA was composed of new recruits and remnants of the Field Force and was trained by a British Army Training Team (BATT). The GNG was composed of new recruits trained by the [[Armed Forces of Senegal|Senegalese Gendarmerie]], on French lines. The Kaur Agreement also created the [[Confederal Army]], which was two-thirds Senegalese and one-third Gambian, able to deploy anywhere in the Confederation.<ref name=":0" />

Gambian soldiers that formed part of the Confederal Army were paid significantly more than Gambian soldiers in the GAF, which created a feeling of resentment. There were also accusations of widespread corruption and nepotism in the selection process for Gambian Confederal troops from the ranks of the GAF. Gambian soldiers were considered junior to their Senegalese counterparts, and Senegal also contributed far more resources and soldiers to the confederation. Senegalese soldiers were given the key tasks of guarding Banjul airport, the port, and the Gambian president. The confederation collapsed in 1989 over a dispute regarding the rotation of the Confederal presidency. In August, Senegal suddenly removed 300 Senegalese troops from The Gambia without warning, forcing the GAF to make up the difference.<ref name=":0" />