The government of the Gambia has given D50 million dalasis to the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission to pay reparations to victims of human rights violations of the former dictator Yahya Jammeh.
The Truth Commission is mandated to both grant and pay reparations to victims. Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou said this is an initial payment to the reparations account of the Commission which could increase with availability of funds to Government.
The money, according to Tambadou, was raised from funds recovered from the sales of assets of former president Jammeh.
“Former president was a central pillar in the infrastructure of terror and human rights violations that were unleashed on ordinary Gambians… Consequently, the Government deems it most fitting and just that reparations for his victims should be directly granted from his wealth and assets,” said Tambadou.
Meanwhile, the truth Commission has already began granting interim reparations to victims in the form of scholarship and treatment. They were however yet to start financial payments in the form of reparation to victims.
The executive director of the Commission, Dr Baba Galleh Jallow, told Kerr Fatou on Monday that they are currently working on a reparations policy. He said the policy will determine who gets what for which kind of violations.
The payment of the D50 million to the TRRC was praised by both the chair of the Commission, Dr Lamin Sise, and Victim Center, Sheriff Kijera.
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