Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Zainab Rilwan Lowe, sister of disappeared soldier Ebou Lowe, has renewed calls for justice and closure, urging the Gambian government to identify mass graves, conduct DNA tests, and return the remains of Jammeh-era victims to their families for dignified burials.
Her appeal comes as Gambians joined the world in marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, a day that resonates deeply for families still searching for answers.
“It has been 19 years since my brother’s disappearance, but the pain still feels fresh,” Lowe said. “The vacuum of his murder still lingers in our atmosphere as much as we try not to speak about it. Enforced disappearance is indeed a continuous violation.”
Lowe’s statement follows last week’s sentencing of former Jungler Michael Sang Correa in Colorado, United States, where he was handed 67.5 years in prison for his role in torture and conspiracy to commit torture. Lowe was among the victims present in court, listening as Correa asked for forgiveness.
“Forgiveness is for the self to help us move on and heal,” she acknowledged. “But we stand firm in what we believe to be right and just. We stand to be recognized and heard for the harms we have gone through and in ensuring that there is indeed a guarantee of non-repetition of what had been meted out on so many Gambians.”
For Lowe and her family, the struggle for truth and closure remains heavy. “The trauma of losing a loved one is unimaginable, but losing a loved one in the hands of tyranny and not knowing his whereabouts is a heavy cross to bear. Our parents still wait for answers in their old ages,” she lamented.
She emphasized that the Gambian government must take urgent action to identify mass graves of Jammeh-era victims, conduct proper exhumations and DNA analysis, and return remains to families for befitting burials.
Concluding her remarks, Lowe extended solidarity to all victims of enforced disappearances. “I pray for individual and collective healing for all victims of this nature and stand in solidarity to ensure that justice, in all its forms, is met for all.”
