Victims of Gambias former president Yameen seek real justice and accountability

Survivors of Rights Abuses Under Former Leader Jammeh Seek Accountability

In The Gambia, survivors of human rights abuses under former President Yahya Jammeh are calling for accountability from those responsible. Yusupha Mbye, a 42-year-old survivor who was injured in a 2000 protest, has been living with the physical and emotional effects of his injuries for over two decades.

Mbye’s mother, who has cared for him since he was a teenager after he was shot by paramilitary officers during the protest, expressed her concerns about not seeing justice served. Her father, who supported Mbye’s efforts to hold Jammeh accountable, passed away in 2013 without seeing his son receive justice.

The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) was established after Jammeh fled into exile in 2017 to investigate crimes committed during his rule. The commission documented thousands of violations, identified perpetrators, and issued recommendations for reparations and prosecutions.

While some perpetrators have been prosecuted, others are still awaiting trial or living abroad. Mbye believes that money alone is not enough and that those responsible must be held accountable. “There can be no real justice while Jammeh lives comfortably abroad,” he said.

Other survivors, such as Mamudou Sillah, who lost his brother to execution in 1994, are also seeking accountability. The TRRC concluded that Sillah’s brother was not involved in a plot against Jammeh but was made a scapegoat. Sillah’s family has been waiting for justice for over three decades.

The government has allocated $550,000 over five years to fund the Reparations Commission, which is making payments for abuses committed between 1994 and 2017. However, many survivors believe that this amount does not go far enough in providing them with the justice they seek.

Source: Al Jazeera