Appreciation of the Outcome of the Government White Paper on the TRRC Report and Recommendations

The Government of the Gambia released the long-awaited white paper on the TRRC Report and Recommendations. The victims of Human Rights Violations from the Jammeh regime have been patiently waiting with anticipation as to what the government would do and what their fate would be as victims.

There has been anxiety, fear, questions, and a lot of doubts as to what the outcome would be like. The government’s take and position on the recommendations on the TRRC report was very impressive and it has shown that it’s the right step in the right direction. The VC commend the Government for a job well done. The acceptance of 99.2% of the TRRC recommendations has brought some form of closure to the victims because justice is not far fetched anymore.

The renaming of the Arch 22 into the “NEVER AGAIN MEMORIAL ARCH”, the denial of amnesty for perpetrators of brutal and gross Human Rights Violations, amongst others is welcome by victims. 

The VC is very much impressed with the outcome of the government white paper, because it has fulfilled its mandate in giving hope to the victims and assurance that the government hasn’t forgotten their plight.  

The VC also wished to commend the Ministry of Justice for the crucial role it played in the timely release of the white paper. The involvement of the Civil Society Organizations, Victims, Victim-led Organizations, international partners and the public in the consultative processes leading to the release of the white paper is commendable. We applaud them and encourage them to continue taking the bold steps in ensuring that justice prevails in this country.

Now that the white paper is out, it has given us hope and the zeal to continue our work. We urge the government to carry out the implementation of these recommendations accordingly. We also called on all CSOs, Victim-led Organizations, Victims themselves, the media, international community and partners and the public to work together with the government to support in the implementation process.  

Source: Victim Centre, 27^th May 2022