Gambia is still investigating the many human rights abuses that took place under former leader, Yahya Jammeh until his exit from power.
One of the incidences being probed is the execution of some soldiers after a failed coup in 1994.
More than 20 soldiers were killed at the time and their bodies were never discovered until recently.
Remains of seven of the soldiers were found in a single grave outside the capital Banjul. The discovery was after a two-week search of a military barracks.
Relatives of the missing soldiers had to witness the discovery of the skulls in a grave.
These soldiers took part in an attempt to overthrow Mr. Jammeh. Exhuming their remains will significantly help investigate human rights abuses under the former leader.
Truth and reconciliation commission
Gambia is currently inviting witnesses of abuses under Jammeh to testify before a truth and reconciliation commission.
Some witnesses have claimed that Mr. Jammeh ordered the execution of the soldiers.
The commission’s work will primarily offer some compensation to individuals who suffered torture, molestation and other crimes including killings under Mr. Jammeh’s regime.
There are eleven commissioners who are hearing the stories of witnesses and hope to document the scale of the abuses by October 2020.
More than 1,000 witnesses are expected to testify and those include journalists, campaigners, and politicians. Hearing started in January this year.
Why a commission?
The commission’s ongoing work was initiated by current President Adama Barrow who defeated Yahya Jammeh in the 2016 presidential election.
Over the next two years, the commission members will investigate the origin of the coup Jammeh carried out in 1994 and his subsequent actions while in office.
The 11-member commission can make criminal referrals with many victims hoping Jammeh returns to Gambia to face trial for the abuses it investigates.
He is currently in exile in Equatorial Guinea and the country’s President Teodoro Obiang has vowed to ensure that Jammeh isn’t extradited to Gambia.
Source: Africafeeds.com
