On 29 April 2026, during an appearance on Politic Kaacha hosted by Kerr Fatou, Saikou Mballow, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs to President Adama Barrow, made claims regarding the former Lead Counsel of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), Essa Mbye Faal.

Claim:

Between minutes 52 and 53 of the discussion, Mr. Mballow stated:

“Essa Mbye Faal did not complete his mission at the TRRC, he ran, he did not present his report.”

He further alleged that Mr. Faal used his position at the TRRC to contest elections.

The Facts:

The claim that Essa Mbye Faal did not complete his work at the TRRC is incorrect.

The TRRC concluded its mandate and formally submitted its Final Report to President Adama Barrow in November 2021. The report contained 263 recommendations addressing accountability, reparations, institutional reforms, and national reconciliation.

As Lead Counsel, Faal’s role was to lead evidence gathering and witness examinations during public hearings. The responsibility for compiling and submitting the final report rested with the Commission as a body not the Lead Counsel individually. The Commission completed its work in accordance with its legal mandate.

Context:

The TRRC was established in December 2017 by an Act of the National Assembly to investigate human rights violations committed between July 1994 and January 2017 during the rule of former President Yahya Jammeh.

Its mandate included:

• Establishing an impartial historical record of abuses
• Recommending prosecutions and amnesties
• Granting reparations to victims
• Promoting national reconciliation
• Recommending institutional reforms

The Commission examined violations across 16 thematic areas, including:

• Enforced disappearances
• Sexual and gender-based violence
• Torture
• Unlawful killings
• Attacks on media and freedom of expression
• Attacks on political opponents
• Attacks on religious freedom
• Student demonstrations
• The President’s Alternative Treatment Programme
• The witch-hunt exercise
• The killing of West African migrants
• Prisons and correctional services
• Institutional reforms
• Reparations and reconciliation
• Monitoring and implementation
• Cross-cutting mandate issues

Implementation Progress:

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) monitors implementation of the TRRC recommendations. The NHRC broke down the 263 recommendations into 304 measurable activities. According to its latest update, 60 of these activities have been fully implemented, with further progress reports expected in December 2026.

Conclusion:

The TRRC completed its mandate and submitted its Final Report in 2021. As Lead Counsel, Essa Mbye Faal fulfilled his role within the Commission’s framework.

Mr. Mballow’s claim that Faal “did not finish his job” at the TRRC is False.