Sheikh Omar Faye

Sheikh Omar Faye (born 10 January 1960) is the Gambian ambassador to Mauritania. Prior to this position, he was Gambian Minister of Defence, as well as a former diplomat who served as the Gambian Ambassador to the United States from 2015 to 2016, and an athlete who represented the Gambia in the 1984 Olympic games.

Early life and education Faye was born on 10 January 1960 in Banjul, the Gambia, to Ajaratou Ramatoulie Tambedou and Alhagi Tijan Faye. His grandfather, also named Sheikh Omar Faye, was an Islamic scholar who was involved in Gambian politics in the early days of the country. The younger Faye attended Windley primary school in Half-Die, and Crab Island Junior Secondary School. He then attended St Augustine's High School on a sports scholarship, graduating in 1979. At St Augustine's, he competed in football, basketball, volleyball, rugby, and track.

Career

Athlete Faye began his career as an athlete and held the Gambian records in the 100m and 200m sprint for some time. He represented the Gambia internationally, including at the 1984 Olympic Games where he was the team captain. At the Games, he competed in the 100m and 200m races, as well as the 4 × 100 metres relay. He also played rugby for the Gambian national team at this time. Concurrently, from 1981 to 1983, he worked as a tutor at the Muslim High School in Banjul. On 19 December, he was recalled to the Gambia. This came after calling for Jammeh to step down following Adama Barrow's victory in the 2016 presidential election.

Faye was later appointed by the Barrow administration as the Deputy Head of Mission at the Gambian Embassy in Dubai, and most recently as the Consul General of the Gambian Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the primary consulate in charge of serving Muslim citizens of The Gambia on pilgrimage to Mecca for the Hajj.

Minister of Defence While Faye was serving as Consul General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, President Barrow appointed Faye as the Gambia's first Minister of Defence under his administration. The appointment was made as part of a broader cabinet reshuffling announced via press release from the Office of the President on August 22, 2019.

International competitions