By: Nyima Sillah
Former information minister Demba Ali Jawo has opined that the trial of Ousman Sonko in Swiss, the impending prosecution of Michael Sang Correa in the US, and the conviction of Bai Lowe in Germany would pile pressure on the Gambia government to implement the TRRC recommendations.
Mr. Jawo, who is also the chairman of the Centre for Victims of Human Rights Violations, suggested that the bringing to justice of Jammeh’s confederates in human rights violations in overseas jurisdictions would provide a glimmer of hope for the victims’ community, yearning for justice and accountability for Jammeh-era right excesses.
He, however, said the wish of many victims is to see the trials held on the Gambian soil.
The victims’ center chair also acknowledged that the passage of the victims’ reparation bill provided a ray of hope for the victims.
“With the recent passing of the Victims Reparations Bill by the National Assembly, there is a glimmer of hope amongst the victims of the Jammeh regime that the government is now ready to implement the recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC),” Chairman Jawotold The Voice.
Passed in November of last year, the bill aims to establish a fund for compensating victims of human rights abuses and violations that occurred between July 1994 and January 2017.
