The Gambia Centre for Victims of Human Rights Violations (Victim Centre), held a press conference yesterday 22nd April 2022 to condemn President Adama Barrow’s apointment of Hon Fabakary Tombong Jatta as Speaker and Seedy SK Njie as Deputy Speaker. The two leaders of the Sixth Legislature were strong supporters of former President Yahya Jammeh who has been indicted by the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). Below is the statement issued by the Victims Centre.
By The Victim Centre
Mr President, it is with deep shock and a painful feeling of betrayal that the Gambia Centre for Victims of Human Rights Violations (Victim Centre) came to learn of your nomination of Fabakary Tombong Jatta and Seedy S.K Njie as Members of the National Assembly. Even worse is to realise that you have identified them to be the Speaker and Deputy Speaker which came to pass on the first day of sitting of the sixth legislature on 14th April 2022. We are hugely concerned with your nomination of these two individuals as they do not only represent the brutal dictatorship the country endured for 22 years, but they were also key pillars of the power behind the tyranny of former president Yaya Jammeh.
Since 1997, Fabakary was a Member of the National Assembly until 2017, half of which period he served as the majority leader. Together with Seedy and the rest of the APRC NAMs, these two individuals played a leading role in strengthening dictatorship as lawmakers who failed to provide constitutional oversight as well as legal reforms necessary to prevent, end and hold accountable perpetrators of human rights violations under the APRC Regime. Rather, they deliberately and actively reneged on their constitutional duties of holding the Executive accountable, but instead decided to aid and abet tyranny which had consumed the lives of scores of Gambians including your own colleagues while you were part of the opposition. In essence, Fabakary and Seedy Njie provided to Jammeh in the Legislature what the Junglers did for him in the security sector.
Mr. President, the day Fabakary and Seedy were installed as the National Assembly leaders, it coincided with the sixth anniversary of the murder of your former political ally Solo Sandeng. Your election on 1st December 2016 was a direct offshoot of the protest that Solo and your compatriots led at Westfield for which they were brutally crushed so much so that Solo and several others never lived to enjoy the freedom you and the rest of fellow Gambians celebrate today. Hence the nomination and election of Fabakary and Seedy as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively is a moral indictment of your leadership and a manifestation of gross betrayal of the Gambian nation, and in particular your very allies: Solo Sandeng, Solo Kuruma, Ebrima Ceesay, Lang Marong, Lamin Ndambu Dibba who died, and many others who continue to live in terrible pain and misery today due to torture.
In this April, we recall in 2000 when Jammeh ordered the massacre of Gambian children. These crimes among many all constitute the uncountable instances in which Fabakary and Seedy should have stood up as lawmakers to check the Executive at the time but failed to do so. Their failure, together with their colleagues, was the fundamental reason that violations of human rights became the order of the day in the Gambia. Hence to bring back these two individuals into the people’s house and at the highest level indicates your lack of political will to ensure justice for victims, and your deliberate attempt to bring back dictatorship. This is because it is obvious from their track record that Fabakary and Seedy will never ever hold you also, as President accountable should you decide to also disregard the Constitution, and flout the rule of law, and violate the rights of Gambians with impunity as Yaya Jammeh did. In essence, Mr. President, by nominating these individuals in the people’s house indicates your total rejection of the ‘Never Again’ mantra and dishonouring of the lives of your fallen colleagues and trampling upon the dignity of Gambians as a whole.
Mr. President, the victims’ community is hugely concerned and worried by your decision. Not only because Fabakary and Seedy were foremost in rejecting your election hence the verdict of the people in support of Jammeh in 2016, but as he sat in the chair of the Speaker on the very day of assuming that high office, Fabakary Tombong Jatta remains unrepentant, unapologetic, and antagonistic as he expressed his total support for Jammeh! He demonstrated his total disregard for accountability and national unity as he demands the unconditional return of Jammeh. He went further to tell the world that he is willing and ever ready to reject the Draft Constitution 2020 once again. In his entire interview with the media, Fabakary did not even spare a second to mention the atrocities of the past or show any form of remorse, care, and concern for the victims.
While we express concern and disappointment with your decision, we are however not surprised. Since assuming office in January 2017, the Victims community has always found it difficult to receive your attention and sympathy. It is only once that, they visited you at State house, in 2018. As we lived with that feeling of neglect by you, we watched with even bitter shock how you went further to forge an electoral alliance with the APRC. Not only did you refuse to disclose the terms of that alliance to the public, but you also went further to visit Jammeh’s family home in Kanilai. What we could deduce therefore is that you abandoned victims and embraced perpetrators when it was those victims that gave you the presidency! Hence the nomination of Fabakary and Seedy is part of a consistent pattern of your lack of political will and commitment to transitional justice and care for victims.
Mr. President, in your heart of hearts, do you truly believe your decision to nominate these two individuals is in the best interest of the Gambia? Are you willing and bold enough to invite the mothers of April 10 and 11, or the children of Deyda Hydara, Haruna Jammeh, Solo Sandeng and the families of Ebou Jobe and Mamut Ceesay among other victims to face them to justify this decision?
Have you taken time to reflect on why and how you became President of the Gambia? Did you forget the past from which the Gambia came and what were the aspirations of the people as they voted for you? In your 2016 Manifesto, your promised to ensure transitional justice and accountability for the violations of the past. How do you reconcile that agenda with the nomination of Fabakary and Seedy today as leaders of the highest organ of the State?
We may not be able to remove these individuals from this noble house, but rest assured that most Gambians hold that Fabakary and Seedy lack the moral, legal, and political legitimacy to be in this position. Their presence in the National Assembly is a dishonour to that honourable house and it shall be regarded as such so long as they walk within the walls of the Assembly. Fabakary and Seedy shall always be remembered as undesirable citizens who unleashed intolerable trauma on Gambians as they plunged this country into a nerve-racking political impasse that nearly threw our motherland into flames. It is therefore with utter shock that you would find no Gambians worthy of this high office other than Fabakary Tombong Jatta and Seedy SK Njie!
Mr. President, be informed that we, the Victims of human rights violations of Yahya Jammeh feel deeply hurt and betrayed. We are deeply concerned that as we await your White Paper on the TRRC Report, these nominations make us doubt if we will ever get justice. It is obvious that as Speaker, Fabakary will not provide the necessary leadership and support to the implementation of your White Paper or the TRRC Report itself, simply because Fabakary and Seedy have glaringly showed their utter disdain for the TRRC and the entire transitional justice process. It is on record that Fabakary has led the APRC since 2016 to actively and vigorously reject, discredit and ridicule the TRRC and every other effort, institution or individual including your former Minister of Justice Abubacarr Tambadou, who seeks to bring justice for victims of Yahya Jammeh. How therefore could you nominate such a person to lead the main body that ultimately bears the primary responsibility of making laws, approving budgets, and scrutinising institutions that are responsible for the implementation of the TRRC Report?
Mr. President, we consider your nomination of these two individuals to be grossly irresponsible and poor leadership that can only further divide Gambians hence endanger the peace and stability of this country. The norm in the civilised world is that countries that underwent armed conflict or authoritarian rule first unearth the truth about the violations that happened and then ensure accountability leading to reparations, reconciliation, and reforms. It has never been the case that key perpetrators of violations would be rewarded with high political offices even when the truth is not yet fully unearthed.
Mr. President, we wish to put it to you that Fabakary Tombong Jatta and Seedy Njie are perpetrators even if they did not physically torture and kill. They did not have to do that. Rather they provided the greatest support for the torturers and killers by failing to hold the president and his henchmen accountable, which power they had but decide to wilfully neglect. They provided not only cover up for these crimes by their silence, but also legalised and legitimised these crimes with the creation or amendment of laws such as the Indemnity Act 2001 and the Public Order Act 2009 and others. Hence the role that Fabakary and Seedy played in the massive human right violations of their regime is far greater than the Junglers who were indeed the actual torturers and killers. What we expect is that Fabakary and Seedy should rather face justice for their negligence of duty which cost lives and not to reward them hence entrenching impunity.
As we register our disappointment and disagreement with your decision, we wish to emphasise that we remain committed to the transitional justice program and hereby urge you to ensure that the TRRC Report and recommendations are effectively implemented in a transparent, inclusive, and efficient manner. We will spare no effort to ensure that these objectives are met.
In The Service of the Nation,
I Remain,
Signed by Sheriff Mohammed Kijera,
Chairman, Board of Directors Victims Centre