By: Kemo Kanyi
Ghanaian victims of the former Gambian dictator have petitioned the Gambia government to keep them informed of the implementation process of the TRRC recommendations.
The victims issued this call on Friday during a public lecture on transitional justice in The Gambia organised by Women’s Association for Women and Victims Empowerment (WAVE)
The public lectures, which targeted university students and the public, was aimed at raising awareness, educating, and engaging diverse audiences on the principles and processes of transitional justice. These lectures served as a platform to facilitate dialogue, share experiences, and promote understanding of the challenges faced by victims in seeking justice, truth, and reconciliation in the aftermath of human rights violations and abuses.
The petition, signed by 36 victims, was presented by a member of the Women’s Association for Women and Victim Empowerment (WAVE) to Ida Persson, a special adviser on transitional justice to the minister of justice.
Speaking on behalf of the Ghanaian victims of former President Yahya Jammeh, Mr. Emannuel Oduro Mensah said the government of The Gambia has not been keeping them informed about the state of the implementation of the TRRC recommendations.
“The Gambia government should communicate with the Ghanaian victims any information concerning the TRRC report implementation, the government of The Gambia should prosecute Yahya Jammeh and the Junglers for the unlawful disappearance and killing of the victims, the Gambia government should pay the reparations recommended by the TRRC to all the West African Migrants, the government of The Gambia should exhume the dead bodies and give them to the families for proper burial and the Gambia government should provide psychological counseling services to the family members,” the petitioners demanded.
According to the TRRC findings, 54 West African migrants were killed by the Jammeh regime, including a Gambia agent, Lamin Tunkara.
Ida Persson assured the victims of the government’s support for justice dispensation.
The TRRC recommended the prosecution of Jammeh and 14 others for human rights violations and atrocities committed under his watch.