ECOWAS has approved the establishment of a Special Tribunal for The Gambia to hold accountable those responsible for severe human rights abuses from July 1994 to January 2017.
This decision marks the first collaboration between ECOWAS and a member state for an international tribunal.
The Tribunal will combine local and international legal systems to ensure justice. It is based on recommendations from The Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC), which called for prosecutions of key offenders identified in its 2018 report.
With both Gambian and international judges, the Tribunal will address both international offenses and serious breaches of Gambian law, operating with judicial autonomy and the ability to conduct hearings abroad if needed.
The Gambian government has expressed gratitude to ECOWAS and reiterated its commitment to justice and reconciliation.
