By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT
Members of the Gambia’s Police Intervention Unit (PIU) and Gambian Security Institutions have failed to heed the TRRC Recommendations to train “security forces on crowd control (riot management), and all other relevant security and legal issues concerned with the management of violent demonstrations and riots”. This is evidenced by two statements issued by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) condemning the PIU for heavy-handedness when dealing with public gatherings.
The Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) was enacted by the National Assembly to investigate the human rights violations of former President Yahya Jammeh’s regime from 1994 to 2016. One of the worst human rights violations occurred on April 10th /11th 2000 when at least 15 individuals were killed by Security Officers after President Jammeh gave orders to shoot student demonstrators.
The TRRC submitted their Reports to President Adama Barrow in late November 2021 and published online in late December 2021. However, not much has been done to address some of the issues raised in the report. One of the recommendations contained in Volume 6 of the TRRC Report focuses on the “April 10 and 11 2000, Student Demonstrations”.
In that report, the TRRC recommended for the Government to “provide proper training to the security forces on crowd control (riot management), and all other relevant security and legal issues concerned with the management of violent demonstrations and riots. In addition, the government should provide the security forces with appropriate equipment and materials needed for demonstrations or protests of this magnitude”.
Had the TRRC Recommendations been implemented perhaps the ugly scenes of PIU Officers using excessive force and tear gas at the compound of the United Democratic Party (UDP) Leader could have been avoided. More recently in March 2022, a UDP supporter was filmed being beaten by a group of PIU Officers, this could also have been avoided had the TRRC Recommendations been implemented.
The first statement issued by the NHRC came in the aftermath of the 4th December 2021 Presidential Elections when PIU Officers used teargas to disperse a gathering at the premises of the UDP Presidential Candidate Ousainou Darboe at Pipeline.
On that occasion, the NHRC condemned “the unfortunate incident involving the use of tear gas and other forms of force and calls on the Police to always exercise maximum restraint in dispersing crowds and managing assemblies. While we recognize the role of the Police and other State security agents in the protection of lives and maintenance of peace and security, the Commission urges them to maintain professionalism and continue the good work they have done throughout the electoral cycle”.
More recently in March 2022, the NHRC issued a statement to condemn the beating of a UDP supporter in the aftermath of the civil unrest which occurred when the nomination of UDP’s Momodou Sabally was rejected by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
Protestors could be seen hurling stones at PIU Officers which was also condemned by the Commission however, a video of a UDP supporter being beaten went viral on the same day showing at least five PIU officers beating and kicking a civilian.
The NHRC’s press statement noted that “it wishes to state in no uncertain terms that no person, in particular law enforcement officers, has the right to torture, beat, injure or harm another regardless of the provocation. The Commission has also contacted the Office of the Inspector General of Police to raise its concerns. The actions of these Police Officers are condemnable, inhumane, degrading and, above all, a flagrant violation of human rights”.
The continued human rights violations perpetrated by the Gambia’s Security Officers highlights that if the TRRC’s Recommendations are not implemented the non-reoccurrence of human rights violations will not be addressed. To date, a number of perpetrators identified in the TRRC Reports are still serving in the country’s Security Institutions. If the government continues to harbour them in the system and ignore the TRRC’s Recommendations to reform the Security Sector it will be impossible to achieve the Never Again slogan.