Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The government of The Gambia is set to present a memorandum on the establishment of a Special Tribunal at the upcoming ECOWAS Heads of State Summit in December, according to Solicitor General Hussein Thomasi. The announcement was made during a recent stakeholder forum on the Special Accountability Mechanisms for The Gambia.

The proposed mechanisms are part of the government’s response to the recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC). They include a Special Prosecution Office, a Special Criminal Division within the High Court, and a Special Tribunal aimed at investigating and prosecuting human rights violations committed under the regime of former President Yahya Jammeh from 1994 to 2017.

“Sections 19 and 20 of the White Paper call for the establishment of a Special Accountability Mechanism. This commitment underscores the government’s dedication to honoring the voices of victims and addressing human rights violations,” Thomasi remarked during the forum.

The initiative gained momentum in October 2022, when the Gambian government proposed a partnership with the ECOWAS Commission to set up the tribunal. However, progress faced a significant hurdle in July 2024 when the ECOWAS Parliament expressed an “unfavorable opinion” toward the commission’s involvement, according to Precilia Yagu Seesay, a member of the ECOWAS-Gambia joint committee on the tribunal.

Clarifying this point, Ms. Ida Persson, Special Advisor on Transitional Justice, stated that ECOWAS had not outright rejected The Gambia’s request. Instead, the memorandum was halted at the Mediation and Security Council stage, preventing it from reaching the agenda of the Heads of State for formal consideration.

“The ECOWAS Parliament did not reject our proposal; it simply didn’t make it to the agenda due to procedural issues,” Persson explained. She emphasized that establishing an internationalized Special Tribunal would require The Gambia to enter into an agreement with an international organization.

The upcoming ECOWAS Summit presents a crucial opportunity for The Gambia to advance its transitional justice efforts. If approved, the Special Tribunal will serve as a vital mechanism for holding perpetrators accountable and delivering justice for victims of Jammeh-era atrocities.

Source: Standard Newspaper