We have learnt with pleasure that the members of the Reparations Commission have been sworn-in today before the President at State House.
The Commission is established by the Victims Reparations Act 2023 to manage the reparations fund to provide compensation to victims of human rights violations perpetrated by the Jammeh dictatorship. The Commission has wide ranging powers to enable it to effectively and appropriately manage the fund and grant reparations to victims.
We welcome the establishment of the Commission and EFSCRJ stands ready and willing to cooperate and support the Commission fulfill its mandate successfully.
We urge the Government to provide all necessary assistance including resources and to respect the independence of the Commission to do it works effectively and efficiently.
We urge the Commission and its members to demonstrate total commitment and professionalism in performing their functions with due diligence and in line with the principles and standards of justice, inclusion, transparency, and accountability.
Today marks 25 years since the gruesome murder of Gambian children as they demanded justice for their fellow students. Twenty five years is too long to wait for justice. There are many other victims who have been in both psychological and physical pain and waiting for justice since 1994 while others have been in similar pain and misery since 2016. Therefore, the urgency and necessity for reparations cannot be overstated.
For many, no amount of reparations will restore their being and dignity to their original state. But indeed they need reparations urgently to assuage their suffering and enable them make meaning of the rest of their life. Therefore, we remind the Reparations Commission of the sacred and historic responsibility in their hands. They have a duty to serve nothing and no one but the best interests of victims.
We therefore conclude by reminding the members of the Commision that reparations for human rights violations are crucial for addressing both the moral and practical dimensions of justice, reconciliation, and societal healing. Reparations are not just about financial compensation but also symbolic justice, ensuring past atrocities are remembered and not repeated. History is the best judge to qualify our work.
We give them our best wishes.
