Post-TRRC Unit Head: Gambia’s Accountability Process Extends Beyond Former President Jammeh

By Makutu Manneh

Ida Persson, head of The Gambia’s Post-Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) Unit and Special Adviser to the Minister of Justice on transitional justice, has emphasized that the country’s accountability efforts go far beyond former President Yahya Jammeh.

Speaking on the Verified Podcast with Mustapha K. Darboe, Persson addressed questions regarding the interest of ECOWAS member states in The Gambia’s transitional justice process, particularly in light of allegations linking Jammeh to the deaths of foreign nationals.

“It would be one of our greatest mistakes as Gambians to boil down our entire special accountability mechanism and transitioning justice program to one individual; it is much bigger than that,” she said.

She cautioned against framing the process as being centered on a single figure, stressing that international and regional support should not be interpreted as targeting one person alone.

“So to say everybody is helping and we are all doing this just for one person, I think it should be much more than that,” Persson added.

At the same time, she underscored the principle of accountability, noting that those who bear the greatest responsibility should face the most serious consequences, describing this as a matter of natural justice.

Persson further acknowledged the complexities of The Gambia’s political landscape but highlighted that the transitional justice process remains fundamentally people-driven. She noted that, across political divides, Gambians have consistently called for accountability and the implementation of the TRRC recommendations.