Press Statement Gambia Center for Victims of Human Rights Violations. Concerns about the NPP/APRC Alliance for the forthcoming Presidential Elections - and its Impact on the on-going Transitional Justice Processes

Sep 7, 2021, 2:10 PM 2 min read

The Gambia Center for Victims of Human Rights Violations is confused and deeply saddened by the recent Alliance between the NPP/APRC which was announced by the Interim Leader of the APRC Hon Fabakary Tombong Jatta at a Press Conference held on 4 September 2021 at Coco Ocean, and the statement made by the Deputy Spokesperson of the National People’s Party (NPP) Seedy Njie in a press briefing held on Sunday at Mankamang Kunda, welcoming the announcement made by Fabakary Jatta for the APRC to form an alliance with NPP.

As purportedly claimed by both parties to have signed an MOU on 2 September 2021, the parties failed to disclose their obnoxious MOU publicly, because it represents the worst betrayal of public trust. The victim’s community finds it utterly shocking and deplorable that the former APRC regime led by a tinpot dictator Yaya Jammeh who orchestrated the crimes of mass killings and raped innocent mothers and daughters, and fathers and sons for 22 years of APRC tyrannical regime. The victims find it quiet disheartening and treacherous for Adama Barrow to abandon the Gambia’s Transitional Justice Process and her crying citizens to run back to that killer and rapist tyrant and his terrorist party for an Alliance to consolidate a desire for self-perpetuating rule. This Alliance came at a time when the Truth, Reparations and Reconciliation Commission (TRRC) is at the tail end of its mandate and subsequent submission of its final report and recommendations to the President. The Alliance is perceived as a threat that may affect the implementation of TRRC recommendations by the government as well as the healing process of victims of the former ruling government. The Victim Center and the community of victims of the former regime of the APRC see this Alliance as outrageous and unpatriotic, therefore we expect all Gambians regardless of party affiliation to express their disappointment. The Gambia Center for Victims of Human Rights Violations will continue to work with relevant partners to facilitate justice to victims, through national, regional and international mechanisms to ensure that the recommendations of the TRRC are fully implemented to safeguard the rights of victims in the country. Finally, we strongly advise the President to respect the promotion and protection of fundamental human rights as enshrined and entrenched in the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia. Dated 6 th September, 2021