Mr
President, the victims of Yahya Jammeh and his thugs and gangs of bandits are
enormous and can never be known fully.
Therefore, it is with tremendous efforts that some US/Gambian activists
have established a centre for victims of human rights violation which was
launched here last week.
The
establishment of such centre was a great initiative and we commend the support
of your Cabinet especially the justice minister, who was seemingly in the
forefront supporting the initiative.
We
think a more open and proactive approach to this great cause would instil a
great sense of trust and hope in your government. By that we meant other ministries should also
be helping out as well. For instance,
the Ministry of Health can contribute in allocating some professionals to the
centre who would provide the victims with counselling support because some
victims are still very traumatised and clearly in need of great help. Obviously, support from family members and
friends is needed for getting through the first couple of days and months or
even years, but it is a well known fact that victims of such trauma are left
with nervous shock which could be ameliorated through counselling.
Therefore,
Mr President, professional help should be afforded to these victims or their
families. Studies have shown that with
series of counselling support, victims of such violations have had tremendous
effects on dealing with the lost or coming to terms with loss they
suffered. Counselling support helps
victims and/or their families to cope and guide them on coping mechanisms to
enable them to work through their thoughts and emotions.
Mr
President, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) that your government
is to establish is a welcome initiative in helping the healing process of the
country. However, this commission should
not and cannot be an alternative to bring the alleged criminals before the
courts to face justice for their atrocities.
But
it is also understood that the TRC and the pursuance of justice can go hand in
hand, and since September – the proposed commencement period of the TRC – is
just round the corner, we are eager to see what model of TRC your government
would take.
The
victims of Jammeh’s atrocities have gone through years of physical and
psychological torture; they now want to see justice for their loved ones and so
a more open rapport with them would be beneficial in appeasing them while the
formal processes are being followed.
In
this vein, it would be important to have an up-to-date list of victims, though
this is a daunting challenge, it would make it relatively easier to help the
government in dispensing justice to all who justice is due. All the victims should be treated as one in
order to avoid selective justice for that would be a disservice to their loved
ones who sacrificed their lives.
Notwithstanding,
we commend the ministries of the interior, and justice for a job well done in
issuing arrest warrants for some assassins team members of Jammeh, who have
been on a killing spree and also contributed in the enforced disappearances,
torture, intimidation of any one perceived as dissent.
However,
the masses are interested in knowing if this would be the same for other
victims as well. What becomes of the
alleged killers of former minister Ousman Koro Ceesay and others; some of the
alleged perpetrators in these cases are known but they are still going about
their business, we wonder why.
Mr
President, the arms of the law are long enough to be stretched to issue arrest
warrants for all known culprits without sparing anyone.
Good
day Mr President.
