There is no doubt that most Gambians welcome the trial and conviction of former Jungler Michael Sang Correa in the United States for acts of torture, which is seen by many people as a positive step in our transitional justice process.
However, it is quite a shame that all such convictions have so far been obtained from abroad instead of right here at home where the alleged atrocities actually took place. This is despite the fact that a majority of those who are accused of bearing the greatest responsibility for some of those atrocities that happened under the Yahya Jammeh regime are right here with us, walking freely in our streets and interacting on a daily basis with some of their alleged victims.
We were all witnesses to the chilling accounts of torture and barbarity that were narrated by some of the victims and their alleged perpetrators at the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). Yet, here we are, more than four years since the TRRC submitted its report and recommendations to the government, instead of making visible efforts to get those alleged perpetrators face justice, some of them were allowed to continue to serve in public office, as if those in authority do not care much about the feelings of the victims. This is an apparent indication that those foreign governments and entities that had taken the initiative to prosecute the alleged perpetrators have shown more empathy and concern for the plight of the victims than our own government.
While we appreciate the efforts being made to find funding to set up a special tribunal to bring the perpetrators to Justice, but the process is too slow and there is little visible commitment to get it going.
By D.A Jawo
