WANEP
Gambia on 19 and 20 July 2017 held a multi-stakeholder consultative meeting
towards consolidating efforts, rethinking, reconciliation and building
strategies in The Gambia.
In
her welcome remarks at the two-day meeting held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel,
Maria Dacosta, board chairperson of WANEP Gambia, said that bearing in mind
what The Gambia went through in the recent past and the political impasse that
almost brought the country to a complete standstill, a consultative meeting of
that nature couldn’t have been organised at a better time.
She
said various sectors and organizations are currently engaged in isolated
initiatives geared towards reconciliation and peace building as a result of the
impact of the recent political impasse.
As
a means of complementing government’s efforts in building the new Gambia, she
explained, the consultative meeting aimed at rethinking and restructuring the
engagement and role of various actors including civil society, traditional and
religious organization, the media, women groups, security agencies and other
state institutions in the ongoing reconciliation and rebuilding process.
“We
need to embark on a frank and critical analysis of the issues at hand, the gaps
and possible factors that may impede the process, and go further to come up
with realistic and achievable strategies that will enhance reconciliation and
facilitate the rebuilding of a fully democratic new Gambia, where all citizens
are equal with no room for favoritism, nepotism, tribalism, religious
intolerance, etc,” she said.
In
his keynote address, Ousainou Thomasi, special adviser to the minister of
Justice, said a country’s constitution contributes to peace and stability when
it reflects the wishes and aspirations of its people.
“We
the people of The Gambia have accomplished a great and historic task,” he
said. “We have had our say on how we
should be governed.”
He
further stated that it is now generally known that the government in The Gambia
“will establish a truth, reconciliation and reparations commission whose
principal objectives will be to give the
victims of abuses a voice by allowing them to share their stories; give
perpetrators the opportunity to tell the
truth about abuses in a manner that normal criminal proceedings will not
permit; and to give appropriate compensation to the victims for loss or injury
suffered as a result of the abuses”.
It
is hoped, he noted, that the process would lead to a healing on the part of
victims and ultimate reconciliation across a broad spectrum of Gambian society,
who have been affected, either directly or indirectly by the events of the past
22 years.
“As
a government, we have the responsibility to actively foster social cohesion and
encourage national reconciliation,” he said.
He
also said that respect for the country’s constitution and the rule of law was
non-existent, adding that the constitution was only one on paper and could be
amended anytime at the whim of the executive.
“The
justice ministry as the focal point for the implementation of the Transitional
Justice Programme welcomes this very important initiatives by WANEP and its
partners,” he noted.
He
further outlined the key objectives of the conference, saying they included
assessing the current situation and identifying challenges affecting the peace,
security and social cohesion in the country.
The
initiative, he said, did come at an appropriate time “when we are to launch
nationwide consultations on TRC [Truth and Reconciliation Commission]”.
