Gambia’s ex-President Jammeh responsible for killing of Nigerians, others —Truth Commission

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRRC) set up by Gambian President, Adama Barrow has said that former President Yahya Jammeh was responsible for the killing of West African migrants, including Nigerians.

Jammeh, currently living in exile in Equatorial Guinea since January 2017, was accused of human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detention.

The TRRC, which was set up to investigate the allegations against Jammeh, was told by witnesses that migrants bound for Europe from Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, including their Gambian contact, were held by Jammeh’s top lieutenants in the security services before being murdered by the “Junglers,” a notorious paramilitary unit that took orders from the ex-president.

The commission said in a report published that Jammeh alongside “Tumbul Tamba, Kawsu Camara (Bombardier), Bai Lowe, Musa Badjie, Landing Tamba, Sanna Manjang, Solo Bojang, Malick Jatta, Alieu Jeng, Omar Jallow (Oya), Lamin Sillah and Buba Jallow are responsible for the murder of the West African migrants”.

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The commission further stated that the ex-president was also responsible for the persecution and unlawful arrest of Gambian journalists, the killing of 17 civilians, and for the deaths, sexual violence, torture of persons accused of being witches or wizards.

The commission also found Jammeh responsible for the sexual abuse of three women, including the rape of Fatou Jallow, a former Gambian beauty queen.

The TRRC said: “Any adversely mentioned individual who has previously appeared before the commission and made a full disclosure of his or her involvement in human rights violations and abuses and has expressed remorse is hereby granted a period of 14 days to apply to the Commission for amnesty.

“The Government will continue its review of the TRRC report as well as any recommendations for amnesty and shall issue a White Paper on or before the 25th of May 2022.”

The commission also recommended that Jammeh be prosecuted and that victims should be paid compensation.

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