The TRRC Has Ended Its Hearings, What Next For The Victims And The Gambia?

For the Victims I mean those who personally or indirectly suffered from the brutal crimes, and for The Gambia, I mean the 22 years of abuse and plunder of a Nation.

The TRRC hearings have revealed beyond any doubt the brutality and abuse of a Nation and its People by Yayah Jammeh. Therefore, what the Victims want is Justice, Accountability, Reparations, and Reconciliation for the Nation to move forward and for “Never Again” to be a living slogan.

Many of you will recall hearing the Royalists and Sycophants of Jammeh telling the Gambia People that Yes, and I quote “we agree that Yayah Jammeh make mistakes and they would even add that No one can deny the fact that Jammeh made mistakes”. Describing Jammeh’s actions as Mistakes is a denial of the truth and a mockery of the Pain of the Victims.

Let us tell the royalists and sycophants of Jammeh that the reign of Yayah Jammeh was the darkest days of Gambian history, apart from slavery and colonialism. The era of Yayah Jammeh is equal to the Holocaust of The Gambia.

The Victims and the Gambian people want to make it clear that, the evil and brutal abuses by Jammeh were No Mistakes, it was an intended well planned, entrenched, and enshrined system of Governance based on Greed and Evil that affected every corner of Government and every Gambian even those who were close to Yayah Jammeh.

The royalist and sycophants call Jammeh’s actions mistakes, because their mothers, fathers, sons, sisters, brothers, uncles, or aunts were not murdered, raped, sexually abused, tortured, illegally detained for years, or disappeared for good. Or maybe, these royalists and sycophants of Jammeh need psychiatric evaluation.

The Victims and the Gambian people are being provoked by those who blatantly deny the Holocaust of The Gambia, which is the evil and brutal dictatorship that was melted on Gambians under the 22 years of Yayah Jammeh.

Do these royalists and sycophants honestly believe that:

The destruction and abuse of our system of Governance, Judiciary and the Security Services, the denial of our basic human and political rights and freedoms by Yayah Jammeh for his own interest were mistakes??

The murder of a patriotic Gambian such as Dayda Haydara was a mistake?

The cold-blooded murder of 14 school children on April 10/11 in the year 2000 was a mistake?

The illegal and systematic arrest, detention torture, and abuse of hundreds of Gambians including women and children by the NIA and the Jungulars during the 22 years of Jammeh was a mistake?

The brutal torture and murder of a patriot like Solo Sandeng and many others was a mistake?

The torture and murder of many civilians and security personnel by the NIA and the Jungulars under the orders of Yayah Jammeh was a mistake?

The extrajudicial killings of over 50 West African migrants under Jammeh’s orders was a mistake?

The brutal murder of at least 5 close relatives of Jammeh himself was a mistake?

The attacks and brutal suppression of journalists and the Media was a mistake?

The Hunting of Witches across the Country under Jammeh’s orders during which many Gambian including grandmothers and grandfathers who were abused, and forced to drink concoctions leading to the death of many was a Mistake?

The fake and force treatment of HIV AIDs patients which lead to the death of many Gambians, was a mistake?

The forced exile of hundreds of Gambians for years, was a mistake?

The massive plunder of our national wealth and financial resources that made Yayah Jammeh one of the Richest Presidents, who owned a multi-million-dollar home in the United States when the majority of Gambians do Not have clean water to drink, was a mistake.

No Human being with a drop of honesty and integrity will describe the above Crimes a Mistake, the whole truth is that Yayah Jammeh was an evil and brutal dictator as the testimonies revealed in many hearings at the TRRC.

Too many lives were lost, too many human beings suffered and far too many lives were destroyed by Yayah Jammeh. The Victims need Justice and Reparations to rebuild their lives. The Victims and all people of goodwill will strive to achieve healing and reconciliation but will not rest until Yayah Jammeh and those responsible for the greatest Crimes against the Gambian People, face Justice and account for their brutal actions.

As a People, we need to ask ourselves, what happened and what should we learn as a Nation from the brutal 22 years of Jammeh. We must remember:

1. Many Gambians abdicated their responsibilities as good citizens and failed to stand up for what was right, then slowly we were suppressed and entangle by a brutal
2. Many followed Jammeh for personal interest or share ignorance of what a good citizenry should
3. Many helped to enable Jammeh to inflict brutal pain and crimes against the Nation and its people, and unfortunately many are still serving in responsible positions in
4. We had Religious and Traditional leaders that no matter the brutality, the killings, the disappearances, and abuse, Jammeh was still showered with prayers, praises and Religious What Jammeh gave, in turn, was bags of money for them to share, sometimes even with words of admonishment.

We must learn that Nations are built by their citizens, a citizenry without political consciousness and social responsibility should have No hope for Progress or Development.

We must elect leaders who have values, integrity, and the relevant capacity to lead. We must know that Leaders must NOT be our Masters but must be OUR Servants and, we the People must hold them accountable to us. Leaders must use the resources of The Nation for the development of its people and not for self-enrichment.

For the Victims of Jammeh and for people who strive for Justice, there is a concern, and that is Betrayal, will the President and the Government betray the expectation of the Victims?? Justice MUST guide our actions if we are to move forward as a Nation. Jammeh and those responsible for the greatest Crimes Must Face Justice.

The Work is already ON to ensure “Jammeh to Justice”

Pa Baboucarr Njie,

Board Member GCVHRV.

.