Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Victims, survivors, and families of the April 10–11, 2000, student massacre have issued an urgent call for justice and full reparations more than two decades after the deadly crackdown that left several students dead and many others injured.
In a press statement issued on April 5, the group said victims and their families continue to wait for accountability and compensation despite the findings of both the Lartey Commission and the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), which recommended prosecutions and reparations for those affected.
The killings occurred during student protests on April 10 and 11, 2000, during the rule of former Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh. According to the statement, the incident marked one of the earliest public displays of the brutality that later characterized Jammeh’s 22-year rule.
“The April 10/11 massacre was the initial test-case group of civilians on whom Jammeh’s brutality was meted out publicly,” the statement said, arguing that the failure to respond decisively at the time allowed violence to spread further into Gambian society during the years that followed.
Findings of Commissions
The Lartey Commission, established shortly after the killings, found that members of the Police Intervention Unit used excessive force against unarmed students and recommended accountability, compensation for victims, and institutional reforms.
Years later, the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission reaffirmed and expanded those findings during its investigations into human rights abuses under Jammeh’s government. Its recommendations, including reparations and prosecutions, were later accepted by the Gambian government.
However, the victims say many affected individuals remain unpaid or have only received partial compensation.
“For 26 years, victims and survivors and their families have continued to suffer indignity after indignity, interlaced with sustained physical and emotional trauma,” the statement said.
Concerns Over Selective Support
The group also expressed concern over what it described as selective support for victims. They cited recent government disclosures indicating that financial assistance had been provided to a limited number of gender-based violence survivors outside the established national reparations framework.
While acknowledging that all victims deserve assistance, the statement questioned why some individuals receive immediate financial help while others, whose cases have long been verified, continue to wait.
“Reparations must not be selective. They must be equitable, transparent, and grounded in law,” the victims said.
Key Demands and Call for Action
Among their demands, the victims and concerned citizens called on the government, the National Assembly, and the Reparations Commission to immediately complete all outstanding reparations for April 10–11 victims.
They also asked to establish an independent overseer for the second phase of Jammeh’s asset recovery and publish transparent reports on recovered assets and how they are disbursed.
They further demand to implement a clear prosecution plan for those responsible for the killings and ensure all victim-support funds are managed under a single national reparations framework.
They finally ask to include victims in decision-making processes related to reparations and justice.
The group stressed that reparations should not be treated as charity but as a legal obligation owed to victims.
“Justice delayed for over 25 years is justice denied,” the statement said, urging the National Assembly to intensify oversight, the Ministry of Justice to move forward with prosecutions, and the Reparations Commission to accelerate payments while ensuring fairness.
They also called on international partners to support accountability and transparency in the process.
“The truth has been established, twice,” the statement concluded. “Justice must now be delivered.”
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