By Binta Jaiteh
Neneh Jagne-Seghore, Executive Director of Article-19 has revealed that perpetrators should not work in public office if not it can create room for revenge and malaise of the past.
Speaking at the organized International Commission Jurist conference held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre, Bijilo
According to her, she said they need to put the victims at the heart while all approaches of covering human rights violations are important because they are mechanism for accountability and not luxury.
“We need to ensure the truth is at the centre and fundamental right in accountability, we should condone or allow any person who committed crime to continue holding public office especially in the security that will defame the whole purpose of the transition and security sector reform and protection of reform’’ she said.
TRRC, she added, showed quite a lot of reconciliation and reparations and people are wondering what kind of justice it will bring. The coalition 2016 came about under the agenda of reconciliation so the TRRC was part of the agenda noting that they are anticipating and waiting for the report of the TRRC as they should learn from what had happened in other countries.
However, she said they have seen a lot of impunity during the last regime and human right violations people are hoping that it will be addressed and today reports are seen, TRRC has revealed but also a lot has to be said, proper mechanism of accountability to ensure the full picture is known.
She noted that they are small in population of the Gambia but still difficult to be fair, “we set the rules and at the end we bend it, people protect certain perpetrators because they are close relatives,” she lamented.
Neneh M.C Cham, Human Right Lawyer said accountability simply means bringing people to account and the importance of it cannot be under stated because after the truth then what next, seeking suspects through accounting for justice.
She said, The UN Commission for human rights described accountability as consisting of three elements, responsibility of the state to prosecute, holding the accused person if convicted as responsible for having committing the crime.
“In our Gambian for about 22 years, we have a regime that has been very brutal and responsible for allegedly committed a lot of crimes against its own people crimes that range from murder, rape, enforce disappearances and other violations of rights ‘’ she added
She continued that in The Gambia in particular the victims have been left traumatized and wanting justice and still want the perpetrators to be brought to justice immediately and people who live in this country can’t understand why is it taking so long. “But at the end of the day we are hopeful that the commission report there will be justice,” she expressed.
The report will contain positive recommendations and prosecution to the perpetrators over 300 witnesses have testified to the heinous crimes, we have international treaties signed and ratified like Human Rights Declaration and African Charter and CEDEAW. She explained
Tiawon Gongloe, president of Liberia Bar Association, said power corrupts when people come in office the only thing, they are interested in is the next term and it is important to hold politicians, while they are making clear declaration that they will serve the people.
‘’The people of Liberia and Gambia should demand political wills and the most powerful weapon is the votes, elections are coming let CSOs, Bar association issue extra ordinary court and compel the politicians to make recommendation of implementing the interest of the people’’ she urged the audiences at the briefing.
