Gambia Civil Society Organizations Set Direction to Support Post TRRC Process

The Association of Non-Governmental Organization (TANGO) has developed a new road map to support the post-TRRC transitional justice process.

According to the CSO’s actors, the road map would serve as a mechanism to support the Gambia government primarily to enable it to undertake ‘what needs to be done to ensure we have or achieve the objectives of the transitional justice process.

“This road map we had developed comprises three pillars, and these pillars one is to build public support for the implementation of the TRRC recommendations. And the second pillar is about supporting and facilitating the implementation process, and the third pillar is monitoring the implementation process for the recommendations,” said Madi Jobarteh, Human Rights Activist.

Madi said the CSO’s seeks to engage with the government and build public support to ensure the TRRC recommendations are implemented and ‘restore the society to dignity after 22 years of ‘misery.’

“We want to engage with the government and all stakeholders including TRRC itself, and within the government structures the AG chambers, Ministry of Justice, National Human Rights Commission, but as well we want to engage the political parties and other groups.”

The CSO’s have already rolled out a plan to stage a peaceful march pass this coming Saturday. According to John Charles Njie, Chairman of TANGO, the “never again” campaign should be a spirit inculcated in every Gambian to support the ongoing transitional justice process.

“This march is for us as Gambians to put all our differences aside and agreed on one thing that bad things have happened in this country and together we are holding hands and we are saying never again in our life even after we are gone. And on Saturday, every Gambian should put everything aside. That’s why we said it is not being politicized. We don’t want political party colors nor political party symbols. What we want is the Gambia. That’s why we called it a solidarity march.”

Mrs. Sira Ndow of the Africa Network Against Extra-Judicial Killings and Enforce Disappearance stresses that the role of the CSO’s in the transitional justice process is indispensable. “In terms of the implementation, Civil Society is going to be very crucial, and it has even started in the implementation in making sure that when we say “never again,” it is “never again” in words and practice.”

However, the former Lead Counsel of the TRRC, Essa Faal, told the victims during an audience at the Center for Victims of Human  Rights Violations that the Barrow administration will likely not implement the recommendations from the TRRC report.