The death of one-month-old Baby Sarjo comes only weeks ahead of a crucial Supreme Court ruling on whether the legislative ban on the circumcision of girls violates the rights of those who want to keep the practice. Her 30-year-old mother said she wasn’t aware when her baby girl was cut.
By Kaddy Jawo The regional leadership of ECOWAS has approved a special tribunal, bringing hope for justice to more than 200 individuals confirmed to have been murdered by the repressive regime of Yahya Jammeh. In addition to extrajudicial killings, the regime systematically tortured critics and subjected dozens of women to rape and other forms of sexual violence. Since Jammeh's fall in December 2016, he has been in exile in Equatorial Guinea. Meanwhile, the succeeding administration and human rights defenders worldwide continue to work tirelessly to hold him accountable. Despite frustrations and scepticism about whether justice will ever be served, the approval of the...
By Kaddy Jawo The recently published National Audit report, covering the period from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2023, found that the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) may have misappropriated public funds totalling three hundred sixty-eight million, thirty-five thousand, eight hundred ninety-three dalasis and sixty-one bututs (368,035,893.61). The financial irregularities detected in the audit include a failure to remit collected revenue to the consolidated revenue fund, missing receipts that were not accounted for, overpayments on contracts, payments made to the personal accounts of staff, suspected diversion of public funds for personal use, suspected fraudulent payments of allowances, and unretired funds. These...
The former interior minister Sonko goes on trial in Switzerland battling charges of crimes against humanity. The trial is on its fourth day and two witnesses have so far testified against Sonko: a serving military officer Lt. Col. Bunja Darboe tortured at the NIA in 2006 for his alleged involvement in a foiled coup, and Binta Jamba-- a widow of Almamo Manneh, alleged to have been raped by Sonko multiple times from 2000 to 2005. Nogoi Njie testifying before the Truth Commission BANJUL, Gambia - In the 22-year rule of Gambia’s former dictator Yahya Jammeh, protests were rare. The...
Picture Source: AFP Dawda Nyassi was a former fighter in the Liberian civil war. He was believed to have been affiliated with Kukoi, a socialist “quack” revolutionary who seized power for about 2 weeks, in The Gambia in 1981. Nyassi would spend a few years in Liberia where he got married and had 2 kids. He returned home in 2006. Like most of his team members, they would be arrested intermittently by the security forces for suspicion of overthrowing the government. After 2 succeeding arrests, Dawda’s luck ran out. A timber trader, he took a trip from his home village Bondali, in...
Gambia’s Truth Commission has wrapped up its last activities. On March 16, the Commission submitted its final decision on 25 amnesty applications received. Controversy erupts over recommendation of amnesty for Sanna Sabally, a former vice chairman of the military junta that took over power in Gambia in July, 1994. The Truth Commission said Sabally, jailed for 10 years and tortured by soldiers on orders of ex-president Yahya Jammeh, had killed 11 people prior to the coming into force of the Rome Statute which defines ‘crimes against humanity’. The Commission recommended for Sabally to do community service.
Yahya Jammeh— living in exile in Equatorial Guinea since 2017—has rule the small country with an iron fist. He stands accused on several human rights violations including murder of political opponents, journalists and rape. For several years, including for a decade as a minister—from 2006 to 2016— Sonko serves at his pleasure.
A cabinet minister and security chief are among nearly a dozen public officials who face risk of ban from holding public office. Some may at the same time be subjected to criminal prosecution. This is a punishment proposed to be imposed on them by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission. The TRRC last month wrapped up nearly three years of investigations into human rights violations that were reportedly committed during the tenure of former Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh - July 1994 to January 2017. Nearly four hundred witnesses testified during the inquiry. The revelations in the TRRC...
On paper, President Adama Barrow is the candidate to beat. He has consistently led in the polls. He enjoys the support of a grand coalition; one bigger than the group that backed him to victory five years ago, at least in terms of the number of political entities. If each of the coalition partners pulled their weight, Barrow will not be within sight of his opponents. However, what will happen on the ground could be different. The eleventh-hour resurgence of PDOIS’ Halifa Sallah and GDC’s Mama Kandeh as well the incursion of newbie Essa Faal into what is supposed to be...
© Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved.