By Kebba Ansu
Sheriff Kijera, Chairman of Gambia’s Victims Center has commended the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) for doing a wonderful job for the country, while assuring victims that the former President and all his accomplices will have their days in court and face the full force of the law.
The Chairman of the Victims Center made this revelation to The Voice Newspaper in an exclusive interview, where he said both Jammeh and APRC sycophants can continue with their denials but they cannot prevent the ex-president from facing Justice either in The Gambia or elsewhere in the world.
“The entire TRRC did a great job and we expect that they will do justice to the recommendations to the final report they will be submitting to the President. It will now be left with President to do what is right and to have the political will and fully implement the TRRC recommendations,” Chairman Victims Centre disclosed.
He added: “We understand that about 392 witnesses appeared before the Commission both victims, confessed perpetrators, from those in the Diaspora and other witnesses that are of essence to the whole truth seeking processes.
“Chairman Kijera, observed that the revelations brought before the truth seeking process has been quite horrendous, adding that the testimonies about the gruesome murders and atrocities that were perpetrated by Yahya Jammeh’s hit squad on Gambians were really painful, traumatizing and disturbing for the families of the loved ones that have been forced to disappeared and to ones that have been killed unlawfully.
“From the commission, we have heard about close to 240 people that were brutally murdered by Yahya Jammeh and his hit squad through the instructions of Yahya Jammeh himself. That is something to think about as far as justice is concern and those International crimes cannot be forgiven. It has to be tested in a court of law to make sure that Yahya Jammeh and that entire he deligated his responsibilities for atrocities and crimes committed to face the law, justice and their victims”, Kijera adduced.
He added that “It is quite important that the TRRC do justice in writing those reports and the recommendations that they will submit to the President. No single person should be spared from the recommendations of the TRRC to face justice including Yahya Jammeh for the command responsibility and the instructions he has given to his hit squad to commit such gruesome atrocities.
The Victims Center Supremo assured that Yahya Jammeh and all his enablers will have their day in court especially for the crimes that meets the requirements of international crimes for justice to take its cause. He said the former President cannot escape justice because the nature of his crimes has international elements and are crimes against humanity.
According to him, even if the Gambia government is not prepared to pursue the case of Yahya Jammeh in a court of law, the regional courts and instruments will provide the ground to try Yahya Jammeh in any court of law outside the country including the ICC.
“For skeptics, the people that are in denial, the Yahya Jammeh and APRC sycophants can continue to be in denial but we all have heard and seen the various witnesses brought forward to the truth seeking process. The evidences are overwhelming and they are before the commission, they can continue to leave in denial,” Kijera countered supporters of the ex-president.
He added: “The rate of sycophancy is beyond comprehension and i think we should all think as Gambians, as brothers and sisters and be each other’s keeper. We should know the pain and sufferings that other peoples have gone through and empathize and console with them and be sympathetic to the plight of the victims.
Chairman Victims Centre advised Gambians not to be selfish in their judgment, as the type of bigotry seen within the supporters of the former President is beyond comprehension. He argued that those that are in denial can continue to live in denial but justice will be delivered.
“No political brinkmanship will safe Yahya Jammeh from facing the laws of both The Gambia and the International jurisprudence. Yahya Jammeh will have his days in court” Chairman Kijera submitted.
He continued to state that the expectations of the victims are very high especially with the truth that unraveled at the commission, on reparations and justice to be served, adding that the victims of the former President are expecting nothing less than full and adequate compensated.
“It is the obligation of the government to fully compensate the victims; it is an international law and part of our laws that the government takes its responsibility to fully compensate those victims that were affected by Yahya Jammeh’s atrocities.
The expectations are high as far as post TRRC prosecution is concern as well as people will like to see Yahya Jammeh and all those that bears the greatest responsibilities to face the full force of the law anywhere in the world whether in The Gambia or the regional or any hybrid court established outside The Gambia including the ICC”, .
He added: “What is expected of the victims’ center and the state institutions is to put in place mechanisms that will manage those expectations to making sure that things are properly taken care of. We know reparations are not only limited to financial compensation there are other forms of reparations that can be considered by the commission.”