Lamin Kaba Bajo | |
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President of the Gambia Football Federation | |
Assumed office September 2014 |
|
Preceded by | Mustapha Kebbeh |
Minister of the Interior | |
In office 16 April 2012 – 7 May 2012 |
|
President | Yahya Jammeh |
Preceded by | Ousman Sonko |
Succeeded by | Ousman Sonko |
In office 27 January 1995 – 8 March 1997 |
|
Preceded by | Sadibou Hydara |
Succeeded by | Momodou Bojang |
Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
In office October 2005 – 18 October 2006 |
|
President | Yahya Jammeh |
Preceded by | Musa Gibril Bala Gaye |
Succeeded by | Maba Jobe |
Personal details | |
Born |
Brikama, the Gambia |
10 November 1964
Political party | APRC |
Lamin Kaba Bajo (born 10 November 1964) is a former Gambian politician and diplomat who is the current president of the Gambia Football Federation, having been elected in September 2014.
A military officer who commanded the presidential guard of Dawda Jawara, Bajo was not involved in the 1994 coup that brought Yahya Jammeh to power, but subsequently joined his government. He first served in cabinet from 1995 to 2000, and was then Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2002 to 2005. From 2005 to 2006, Bajo was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (the equivalent of foreign minister). He was also a government minister from 2010 to 2012 and for a brief spell in 2014, and in between stints in cabinet held ambassadorships to Iran (2007–2009), Qatar (2009–2010), and Morocco (2012–2014).
Bajo was born in Brikama, and received his secondary schooling at the Muslim High School in Banjul. He joined the Gambia National Gendarmerie (later called the Gambia National Army) in April 1984, and by January 1993 had been promoted to captain. He was made commander of the presidential guard in January 1994, under President Dawda Jawara, but left the country following the bloodless coup d'état a few months later (which saw Yahya Jammeh become the new head of state). Bajo was reconciled to the new leadership within a short period of time, and in August 1994 was made Commissioner of the Western Division by the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC). He and another officer, Edward Singhateh, became members of the AFPRC in January 1995, following the arrest of two others for an alleged coup attempt.