Chargé d'Affaires Robert Anderson delivered remarks at the launch event, underscoring the U.S. Government's support for The Gambia's efforts to deliver justice and accountability for victims and their families. "The United States is proud to support The Gambia as it strengthens its capacity to pursue justice, establish the facts, and provide answers to families who have waited so long," he said.
The project directly responds to the findings of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) on enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings committed between 1994 and 2017. It supports the Government of The Gambia's Special Accountability Mechanism, including the Special Prosecutor's Office, the Special Criminal Division of the High Court, and the forthcoming ECOWAS-backed Special Tribunal. The initiative seeks to address gaps in The Gambia's forensic and justice sector while helping build a modern criminal justice system.
To achieve these goals, the United States government will support the training of Gambian law enforcement officers and forensic experts who will pass their skills to others over the next two years. The project will also fund the upgrade of forensic facilities and equipment, including modern laboratories for DNA analysis, toxicology, digital forensics, and other essential services, and will assist the Ministry of Justice in establishing a Gambian team of forensic experts, working alongside a regional forensics champion, to identify human remains and determine causes of death.
Standardized operating procedures, protocols, and training manuals will guide forensic investigations, evidence handling, and crime scene management. These tools will also strengthen coordination among The Gambia Police Force, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Justice, the Special Prosecutor's Office, and civil society partners, including the African Network against Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced Disappearances (ANEKED) and The Gambia Center for Victims of Human Rights Violations.
This project builds on the longstanding partnership between the United States and The Gambia and our shared interest in security and stability, with institutions capable of delivering justice. Through INL, the U.S. Government has long invested in strengthening the capacity of partner nations to investigate crime, uphold human rights, and deliver accountable justice. By helping The Gambia build sustainable, world-class forensic capabilities, the United States reaffirms its confidence in the Gambian people and their institutions. Its steadfast support for a justice system capable of serving the country for generations to come.
