As more people from diverse backgrounds, especially civil society organisations and other related rights activist continue to press the need for former president Yahya Jammeh and his associates be held accountable for crimes committed under his 22 year dictatorship, latest such stern warning and concern came from Madi Jobarteh, The Gambia Representative for West-minister Foundation for Democracy, former TANGO Programme Director, renowned social commentator and civil society member.
Mr Jobarteh gave this assignment to the Barrow led Government at the cited press briefing on Jammeh to Justice held at TANGO over the weekend on Saturday 27th October, 2018; organised by the said civil society coalition and human rights groups.
For Madi, he could not still believed that Jammeh and his associates, who were given the constitutional mandate to protect and promote lives and properties of all Gambians and none, but has the audacity to butcher the father of the little girl who was sitting in the hall, when she was conceived by her mother Adama (widow of Lamin Tunkara).
He therefore urged Barrow government not to support and cooperate with efforts meant to bring Jammeh and his associates to justice, as the crimes allegedly committed by them clearly runs contrary to Gambian spirit and hospitality, which affirmed the country’s reputation of being called “Smiling Coast of Africa” as well as the country hosting some of the key human rights institutions.
Mr Jobarteh spoke about the need for civil society organisations to demonstrate strong leadership qualities and ensure an end to culture of rights violations with impunity across Africa and beyond and Jammeh must never be spared, hence the need for this government to support and cooperate with Ghana government in dealing with the cited crime.
The civil society activist ruled out the culture of silence and urges involvement of everyone to establish true nature of atrocities committed by Jammeh, with a view to have effective and efficient justice done.
Isha Jammeh, a member of Victim Centre for Human Rights Violations has his biological father arrested, detained and later killed in 2005 by Jammeh’s regime for unjustifiable reasons.
She outlined objectives of the centre meant to address such rights violations occurred under Jammeh’s regime.
She added that her father’s death coincided with mass killing of the said foreign nationals in 2005, hence her involvement in various stages of investigations into the matter at both local and international level, especially in Ghana where she had the opportunity to meet various people including the current Ghana president on the matter.
Author: Sanna Jawara
