By Hadram Hydara
Ahead of the ECOWAS Heads of State meeting on December 15, the Alliance of Victim-Led Organisations in The Gambia (AVLO), alongside victims, local and international civil society organizations, and concerned citizens, have petitioned ECOWAS to support the establishment of a Special Tribunal for The Gambia to ensure justice and accountability for human rights violations occurring from July 1994 to January 2017, as documented by the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC).
The petition, signed by over 300 individuals from 22 countries, has been handed to The Gambia’s Ministers of Foreign and Defence to present to the ECOWAS authorities.
“As individuals are unable to speak directly during these statutory meetings, the final letter (attached), received over 300 signatories from 22 countries and has been entrusted to The Gambia’s Ministers of Foreign and Defense, Honourables Tangara and Njie respectively on Wednesday, 4th December 2024, to carry it forward to their counterparts and, ultimately, to the ECOWAS Authorities of Heads of State for their consideration,” AVLO said in a letter addressed to regional bloc ECOWAS.
The proposed tribunal aims to ensure justice and accountability for human rights violations in The Gambia from July 1994 to January 2017, as documented by the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC).
The petitioners argue that ECOWAS has a legal and moral obligation to assist in prosecuting those responsible for crimes such as extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture.
“We, the undersigned victims, victim associations, civil society organisations in the ECOWAS block, local, and international partners, and concerned citizens of the world write to respectfully urge you to endorse and actively support the establishment of the Special Tribunal for The Gambia, as proposed by the Government of The Gambia and recently deferred by the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council. This Tribunal is critical to ensuring justice and accountability for the serious human rights violations and crimes that occurred in The Gambia between July 1994 and January 2017,” the petitioners noted in their letter.
The establishment of the Special Tribunal, alongside The Gambia’s Special Prosecutor’s Office and the Special Criminal Division of the High Court, would facilitate the investigation and prosecution of international crimes, providing closure for victims and their families.
The petition emphasizes that ECOWAS’s support would demonstrate a firm stance against impunity and promote human rights and the rule of law in the region.
