By: Christian Conteh
The rallying call for the prosecution of former president Yahya Jammeh has continued unabated. Lead campaigner Reed Brody is with the International Commission of Jurists, he said he expected pressure to now mount on President Adama Barrow “to deliver justice without further delay for victims who have already waited five years, and in some cases much longer”.
“There is still a lot that needs to be done, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Yahya Jammeh in a court sooner rather than later,” said Brody.
Brody who is nicknamed the ‘dictator hunter’ shares this passion with several Gambians particularly those who were victims of Jammeh’s 22-year repressive rule. Brody is known to have played an instrumental role in bringing former Chadian President Hissene Habre to trial at a special court in Senegal.
Whether the Equatorial Guinean authorities would extradite Jammeh should criminal charges be pressed against him is yet unknown.
The much talked about Truth Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) report blames the former president for several murders, torture, enforced disappearances, rapes and other crimes that constitute a crime against humanity during his 22-year rule.
“Over a period of 22 years, starting from July 22, 1994, Yahya Jammeh and … co-perpetrators committed very serious crimes against the people of The Gambia,” the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission’s report said.
The commission was set up in January 2017 by President Adama Barrow, whose election in 2016 put an end to Jammeh’s 22-year dictatorship.
Gambian Justice Minister Dawda A Jallow said the government was “committed to the implementation of the report”, but would not release a paper before May on how it plans to go forward.
