Omar Jallow News Today

For decades, Gambia’s dictator and his henchmen were untouchable. Now international courts are offering their victims a new path to justice.

For decades, Gambia’s dictator and his henchmen were untouchable. Now international courts are offering their victims a new path to justice.

By Abdul Tejan-Cole In the past few weeks the Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) has churned out startling revelations that sent the entire nation into a state of shock. Although many of what was revealed had been rumoured for years, it was still chilling to hear the confessions. It started when Lt. Malick Jatta took the stand. Sgt. Omar Jallow

An ex-prison guard has testified before a Swiss court about the murder of Gambian politician Baba Jobe while he was in custody in 2011, when Ousman Sonko was Minister of the Interior. But Sonko blames Yahya Jammeh.

Mr Sonko denied wrongdoing and argued that he neither exercised administrative nor operational oversight over the prisons.

About forty-four Ghanaians,  nine Nigerians,  two Togolese, and nationals of Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, and Senegal are believed to have been killed over several days in July 2005. Among those scheduled to testify before the TRRC is Martin Kyere of Ghana, the sole known survivor.

While presenting a Posthumous National Award for the deceased on Wednesday, the President said Mr. Jallow had contributed immensely to national development and will be missed.

  Jobarteh made this declaration during the party’s mega rally held at Saruja in the Central River Region (CRR), where the party unveiled their plans to invest in agriculture if elected into office after December polls.

Victims and rights activists have raised concerns about the lack of Gambian government’s implementation plan of the 2021 Truth Commission’s recommendations. The vetting process is largely incomplete; the strategy for trials is unknown; the reparations budget is postponed. And there seems to be no political will at the president’s office.

Portraits of 11 Gambians which reveal the extent of the suffering and abuse under Yahya Jammeh.