Unicef said on Tuesday it is encouraged by the decision of the President of The Gambia, Adama Barrow, to grant amnesty to two children who were held at the Juvenile Wing of the Jeshwang Prison as part of his general amnesty in the month of Ramadan.
The agency said the release of these children, especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic is ‘vital in keeping them safe from the virus’.
The agency spoke as the world marks Day of the African Child and Unicef is warning that keeping children in detention centers without proper rehabilitation services could seriously jeopardize their wellbeing and mental growth.
The agency said in a statement: “Children in contact with the law must be protected from any type of punishment and provided all the rehabilitation support to reintegrate back into society.
“The Day of the African Child should serve as a point of reflection on the state of child rights on the continent. This year is particularly important as it marks the 30th anniversary of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child which was adopted by the Organization of African Unity in 1990 and entered into force in 1999. Like the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Children’s Charter is a comprehensive instrument that sets out rights and defines universal principles and norms for the status of children.
“The Gambia Government has made commendable gains in protecting the rights of children in the country through the enactment of laws, including the Children’s Act, the establishment of the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, and the setting up of children’s courts in Kanifing, Brikama, Mansakonko and Basse.
“Yet, children in contact with the law have limited access to legal aid, no alternative to detention, and no diversion practice to avoid jail time.
“UNICEF is encouraged by the decision of the President of The Gambia, Adama Barrow, to grant amnesty to two children who were held at the Juvenile Wing of the Jeshwang Prison as part of his general amnesty in the month of Ramadan. The release of these children, especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic is vital in keeping them safe from the virus.”
