The Gambian government said on Wednesday that former dictator Yahya Jammeh will face charges of murder, rape, torture, and other crimes committed during his more than 20-year reign.
The Ministry of Justice said it approved all but two of a commission’s 265 recommendations, which looked at suspected crimes committed by the state under the despotic former leader between July 1994 and January 2017.
Jammeh is exiled in Equatorial Guinea, which does not have an extradition treaty with Gambia.
Former Vice President Isatou Njie-Saidy and members of the so called “Junglers” hit squad are among the 70 suspected offenders mentioned in the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission’s twice-delayed report, which the government indicated it will pursue.
“Yahya Jammeh controlled The Gambia with an iron fist for 22 years.”
In a white paper, the administration stated, “Yahya Jammeh ruled The Gambia with an iron fist.” “Extrajudicial killings, rape, torture, enforced disappearances, and a slew of other grave human rights crimes became part and parcel of his military Junta during his reign.”
The government’s decision, according to Abdoulie Fatty, a former local legal consultant for the commission, is “unprecedented.” “The government’s level of acceptance of recommendations is unprecedented,” he remarked.
“The fact that Jammeh and those who carry the greatest responsibility are being heavily emphasized sends a strong message that the administration is serious about pursuing him and ensuring that he is held accountable for his crimes.”
The government announced that it was working on a “prosecution plan” and that it would establish a special court in The Gambia, with the potential of holding hearings in other nations.
Jammeh and his associates should be tried in an internationalized tribunal in another West African country, according to the truth commission.
In a speech on Wednesday, Justice Minister Dawda Jallow said, “Impunity is a form of incentive that we are not prepared to provide abusers.”
“Their determination to commit these atrocities cannot outweigh our collective will as a society to hold them accountable.”240 to 250 people were slain by the state during the eccentric ex regime, leader’s according to the truth panel, including AFP journalist Deyda Hydara.
Jammeh, who turned 57 on Wednesday, is accused of a slew of atrocities by human rights groups, ranging from the employment of death squads to the funding of witch hunts.
In addition, the former president has been accused of running bogus HIV “treatment” programs and the 2005 slaughter of 50 African migrants.
The commission recommended that the former president and 69 other accused criminals be prosecuted.
The deadline for the administration to reply was Wednesday.
After a surprising electoral defeat to current President Adama Barrow and a six week conflict that resulted in military intervention by several West African states, Jammeh was forced into exile in early 2017. Barrow, who was re-elected, is a Democrat.
The government announced that it was working on a “prosecution strategy” and that a special court would be established within The Gambia. “Barrow and his government are well aware that the world is watching, so they had little choice but to accept the TRRC recommendations,” said Nana-Jo N’dow, the founder of an NGO that advocates against enforced disappearances and summary executions, whose own father vanished in 2013.
“The key now is whether Barrow acts quickly to implement these recommendations.” Amnesty International researcher Michele Eken said she hoped the justice ministry will have enugh resources to “perform the job correctly.”
“The fact that the minister conducted a press conference and comforted victims and civil society is a great move, and we sincerely hope that the minister will continue on his current path,” she said.
Jammeh will be prosecuted for the rape of beauty queen Fatou Jallow, the murder of journalist Hydara, and the unlawful disappearances of additional victims, according to the administration.
In 2016, security forces tortured and assassinated her father, Ebrima Solo Sandeng, a member of the opposition United Democratic Party.
“Many countries have established truth and reconciliation commissions,” she added, adding that their recommendations are frequently ignored.
“Right now, the most essential thing is to make sure that the suggestions are accepted and executed, and that you don’t just ignore it like prior commissions.”
The government must follow up with tangible actions, according to Reed Brody, a lawyer with the International Commission of Jurists who works with Jammeh’s victims.
“Laws must still be passed, a court must be constituted, cases must be prepared, and Yahya Jammeh must be apprehended,” he stated.
Wednesday’s declaration, according to Fatoumatta Sandeng, spokeswoman for the Jammeh2Justice campaign, is merely the next step in a long healing process.
