The Gambia government has been asked to guarantee and protect the rights of the people of Kerr Mot Ali and members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.
The people of Kerr Mot Ali in Upper Saloum faced persecution on a massive scale following the discovery of a new version of Islam by their leader, Serign Ndigal. Hundreds of them fled to Senegal.
In January, a top student of Serign Ndigal Yunusa Ceesay appeared before the TRRC and gave a disturbing explanation of how the Seckens of The Gambia were forced to flee the country following the death of their leader.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community has also come under attack from the mainstream Muslim community of The Gambia over their version of Islam. They have often been dubbed as kaffir (disbelievers) over their belief in the ‘Promised Messiah’.
The National Human Rights Commission in its annual report 2019 insisted Section 25(1)(c) guarantees the right of freedom to practice any religion and to manifest such practice.
The commission in the reported recommended that the government ‘guarantee and protect the rights of the people of Kerr Mot Hali village and members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community’.
