By Mama A. Touray
Deputy Director, Civil Litigation and international law at the ministry of justice, Kimbeng Tah said there is communication gap between the victims and the government.
In a recent interview with The Voice, Tah “There is a communication gap between the victims and the government. Thus the government is doing a lot that some of the victims are not informed but remains committed within the space of one year.
“The government has done so much for victims in terms of security sector reform, setting up a tribunal that is working on for justice to get justice and former president Yahya Jammeh gets prosecuted.”
Tah suggested that in order to tackle the communication gap they have tasked themselves to work with civil society organizations and victim led organizations because the government cannot do it all.
He stated that the government of the Gambia through the ministry of justice has removed the names of perpetrators mentioned by the truth reconciliation and reparations commission’s recommendation serving in government offices.
“This was said when a victim of former president Jammeh accused the government of not removing names of people who committed atrocities against them during former president Jammeh’s regime.”
He noted that last year they had a nationwide tour to communities across seven regions sensitizing them on reparation and of recent our SGBV unit went across all the seven regions talking to victims and NHRC as a partner also had a caravan tour on reparations.
“Don’t just have the perception but look at the work done on the ground because if you have a perception that comes to your heart and not from your head then you will be mistaken.
“Instead look on the ground and ask yourself what the government said they are going to do. Are they doing it and the answer is yes, you judge the government based on what they had promised whether they are doing it or not.”