By Louise S A Alsan, @AlsanLouise
The Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) was initially set to submit its report and recommendations to President Adama Barrow in mid July 2021, however, the Commission only submitted its much anticipated Final Report and Recommendations (Final Report) on 25th November 2021, after a delay of 135 days.
This means that there are only nine days between the submission of the Final Report and the Saturday 4th December 2021 Presidential Elections. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) recently concluded its Nomination Process for all Presidential Aspirants. This article features responses from three Presidential Candidates on the implementation of the TRRC Report and Recommendations.
PDOIS – Hon Halifa Sallah
At a PDOIS press conference held on 21st October 2021, Presidential Candidate Hon Halifa Sallah was questioned on his party’s position on the implementation of the TRRC recommendations. In response, the National Assembly member for Serrekunda stated that if he “were to be the head of government, I can assure you that the first thing I would have done is to look at those people who are actually the victims and ensure that they come into contact with those victims that are in South Africa so that they can exchange notes about what actually happened to them and how they managed to heal”.
According to the PDOIS Candidate, he would listen more to the victims “than the voices of anybody else”. Hon Sallah believes that he would have taken an entirely different approach which would commence with gathering the facts. After gathering the facts Hon Sallah highlights that he “would have taken the responsibility [of listening to the victims] and whatever comes from those victims is what is worth implementing”. On the principles of the TRRC Hon Sallah opines that “the fundamental objective is healing and healing is personal, psychological, it is the individual”.
NPP Candidate – President Adama Barrow
President Adama Barrow’s newly formed National People’s Party (NPP) has gone into an Alliance with a Fabakary Tombong Jatta led Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) party. The Gambia’s Victim Center for Human Rights Violations has also issued a statement calling the President’s decision to merge with the APRC a “treacherous betrayal”. Soon after the Alliance was announced, President Barrow visited the family of former President Jammeh, a move which did not sit down well with victims of the former regime.
After President Barrow’s visit to former President Jammeh’s family the unpredictable Jammeh who had fled into exile for refusing to step down for his successor Barrow renegade against the NPP-APRC Alliance and attempted to replace the entire APRC Executive. After leading the party for 22 years, former President Jammeh’s failed attempt to dismiss the APRC Executive has split the party into two. This rift has created another faction identified as the No to Alliance Movement (NAM) and has aligned itself with the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) Leader Hon. Mama Kandeh.
When asked about the TRRC Report and if his government was committed to implementing the recommendations President Barrow noted that “very soon I will receive the report but as far as I am concerned, I haven’t received the report yet. If we receive the report my government will sit over it. It will not be my personal decision it will be the decision of my government.”
The TRRC finally submitted their Final Report to President Barrow on 25th November 2021 leaving him just over a week to react to the Final Report which will now be implemented after the Presidential Elections.
UDP Candidate – Ousainu ANM Darboe
Meanwhile, the United Democratic Party’s (UDP) Presidential Candidate told journalists that he “cannot be bothered” to lose votes because of his stance on the TRRC. In his view, the UDP “will make sure that any recommendation coming out of the TRRC,” will be implemented when they win the race to State House.
Speaking about bringing absconded perpetrators to justice like the currently exiled former President Yahya Jammeh Hon Darboe says that he is in “agreement with the former Attorney General Abubacarr Tambedu when he said the culprits will be prosecuted. Whoever is out of the country when you step your foot in the country, if we are in government, you will be prosecuted.” Hon Darboe was speaking at the launch of their Party’s 5-Point Manifesto.
Payment of Reparations
On the day that victims held a #NeverAgainMarch on 16th October 2021, the Ministry of Justice released a statement to reiterate the Government’s commitment to the Transitional Justice process and the TRRC. In weeks preceding the protest, numerous victims expressed resentment that the President had gone into an Alliance with the APRC and visited former President Jammeh’s family compound. Victims complained that the President hadn’t visited the Victim Center and that his NPP-APRC Alliance was a threat to the Transitional Justice Process and the TRRC.
To appease the victims the Ministry of Justice released a statement on the same day of the protest highlighting that the Government had “fully resourced [the TRRC] with over D200 million since its inception”. The presser further notes that the government had disbursed D50 million for the payment of reparations and that “the government of the Gambia has already committed over D150 million in the draft 2022 Budget Estimates, to be utilised as part of the reparations fund”.
This publication is supported by the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ).