THE Commission i
n The Gambia that looked into human rights abuses in the country during the 22-year rule of Yahya Jammeh has recommended that those most responsible for gross human rights abuses between July 1994 and January 2017 be prosecuted.
During this period, some 250 people, including 50 West African migrants, were killed in suspicious circumstances.
‘The names of those individuals recommended for prosecution have not been placed in a sealed envelope but mentioned expressly in the relevant sections of the report,’ the Chairman of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), Dr Lamin Sise, said on Thursday when
he presented its report to President Adama Barrow.
Barrow said his government would ‘study the report carefully for appropriate action’.
But it seems that Gambians will have to be patient as they wait for their quest for justice. Barrow said a government White Paper that would ‘inform the general public of its position…will be published within six months from today’.
He added: ‘In the interim, I advise all Gambians to exercise restraint.’
Many Gambians have been waiting with bated breath for the presentation of the 17-volume report of findings and recommendations.
The TRRC began public hearings in January 2019, during which it held 22 three-week sessions over 871 days and heard from 393 witnesses.
The hearings were broadcast live and the TRRC eventually produced verbatim records of the testimonies of all the witnesses who appeared before the Commission.
‘When the Commission began its work, it decided that its public hearings will be transparent and broadcast live for all to see and hear the truth being told in real time,’ Sise said.
‘There is nothing better than telling the truth in the open.’
The transcripts of these testimonies are contained in 33 volumes comprising 14,636 pages, according to Sise.
He said that the violations and abuses of human rights that the National Assembly mandated the TRRC to investigate were, ‘from the testimonies of witnesses… calculated and wicked…’
The report itself outlined 427 findings and 218 recommendations.
These include measures aimed at reconciliation and peace building; and recommendations that include initiatives on human rights and peace building studies for children.
The TRRC was mandated to get to the bottom of human rights abuses, uncover the truth to guarantee a clear historical record of what went on in the country and submit recommendations on reparations for deserving victims.
So far, 2021,671 such victims have received reparations from the D50 million advanced to the TRRC by the government, according to Sise who added that more were still being compensated.
On the relevance of the probe, Barrow noted: ‘Through the TRRC, Gambians now know what happened on Gambian soil in the past.
‘Although we have decided as a country to unearth the truth, our desire is to create a path for healing and reconciliation, with the goal of co-existing peacefully as Gambians.
‘I am certain that, if we choose to do so, we can live together in peace and harmony, without any form of injustice, and nurture our young democracy in a stable nation where the rule of law prevails in the best interest of all,’ Barrow added.
The Gambian leader thanked witnesses and their families for their ‘fortitude and courageous testimonies’.
He went on: ‘I assure them that my government will ensure that justice is done, but I urge them to be patient and allow the legal process to take its course.
‘That way, justice will prevail, and we will be able to heal as a country and move forward united and stronger, with greater determination.’
During the final session of the TRRC’s public hearings earlier this year, Sise took a swipe at Jammeh, who is currently in exile in Equatorial Guinea
‘The phenomenon of leaders of military coups civilianizing themselves was rampant in the sub-region of West Africa,’ he said.
‘These leaders rigged and held farce elections to perpetrate their rule.
‘The Gambia became a collective victim of this phenomenon.
‘Witnesses have testified before this Commission that structures that underpin good governance, [such as] respect for the rule of law and independence of the Judiciary were virtually non-existent during the 22-year Jammeh rule,’ Sise added.
