Africa-Press – Gambia. The Gambia Bar Association (GBA) and the Ministry of Justice, on Friday, convened a stakeholder meeting at the Gambia Bar office in Kanifing to discuss the draft statute of a Special Tribunal designed to prosecute crimes uncovered by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). The forum brought together legal practitioners and civil society to examine how the proposed accountability mechanism would function and its implications for victims and institutions.
Opening the session, Awa Joof Peters, Finance Manager at the GBA, said the Bar has worked closely with the Justice Ministry since the political transition to strengthen accountability mechanisms. She noted that the Special Accountability Mechanism (SAM), which includes a Special Prosecutor’s Office and a dedicated High Court division, was crafted to give effect to the TRRC’s recommendations.
“This engagement is meant to familiarise ourselves with the special accountability mechanism and to discuss the expectations of all stakeholders, particularly the Bar and civil society,” Peters told participants.
Representing the Attorney General, Mariama Singhateh of the Ministry of Justice provided a detailed background on the government’s response to the TRRC report. She reminded attendees that out of 265 recommendations, 263 were accepted, with only two rejected: the prosecution of NIA Director Ousman Sowe for destruction of evidence outside the TRRC’s mandate, and the granting of amnesty to former AFPRC vice chairman Sana Sabally.
Singhateh explained that the proposed hybrid model draws lessons from international experiences, such as the prosecution of Hissène Habré in Senegal, and will be implemented in partnership with ECOWAS. She said the Special Tribunal would focus on crimes including torture, enforced disappearance, sexual violence, and the massacre of over 50 West African migrants.
“This process is about ensuring justice is victim-centred while strengthening our democratic institutions,” she stressed, adding that the Special Prosecutor’s Office will operate independently and fast-track cases long awaited by victims.
The meeting concluded with a call for broader engagement and resource mobilisation to operationalise the Special Tribunal. For the GBA and Justice Ministry, the initiative marks a critical step in turning the TRRC’s promises into concrete justice for victims of the Jammeh era.
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