Almost six years since The Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) began its mandate to investigate human rights violations—including torture, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, and extrajudicial killings—committed during the dictatorship of former President Yahya Jammeh (1994–2017), the country is still seeking justice for the victims. The TRRC delivered its final report and recommendations to the government in late 2021, and the Ministry of Justice released a white paper on its approach to the report in May 2022 followed by an implementation plan for the recommendations in May 2023.
While the government’s plan promises to deliver justice and repair harms, for it to have its intended impact, it requires broad public participation in the process, especially that of young people. Nearly 60 percent of the country’s total population is under the age of 25, while those 18 to 35 years old represent 58 percent of its registered voters. As a demographic group, young Gambians are the majority and can and should play a pivotal role in the country’s democracy and development. With that in mind, ICTJ has partnered with the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UNPBF) on a project to empower Gambian youth to voice their demands on issues of governance, reconciliation, and prevention, in accordance with the TRRC recommendations.
As part of this project, ICTJ and UNPBF organized a caravan that toured The Gambia for 10 days this past July to reach out to young people, educate them about the TRRC’s recommendations and the process to implement them, and encourage them to get involved in this process. Members of youth-led civil society organization took part, traveling with the caravan to the country’s various regions. At each stop on the tour, these young leaders would meet with local youth and speak to them about the country’s violent past, the need for justice and repair, and the vital role they can play. They also distributed shorter, more user-friendly versions of the TRRC recommendations and the government’s white paper, which ICTJ and its partners produced with support from UNPBF.
“The caravan really helped these youth leaders engage their peers on the streets, in markets, in schools in different regions, in mass awareness-raising, but also in one-to-one conversations about implementing the TRRC’s recommendations, dispelling certain misconceptions, and encouraging people to get involved and commit to ensuring the recommendations are fully implemented,” explained Didier Gbery, head of ICTJ’s office in The Gambia.
“Not only was it a significant contribution to a participative and inclusive post-TRRC process, it was an opportunity to continue empowering youth in their constructive role in nation-building, peacebuilding, and reconciliation,” Mr. Gbery continued. “It demonstrated one more time the capacity of youth to contribute to the development of their country, to support the government efforts to strengthen the rule of law and promote human rights. In a nutshell, it promoted youth rights to participation.”
In an effort to foster a relationship between youth and local government authorities, the caravan team met with local governors and area councilors to discuss the value of involving young people in the post-TRRC process and policymaking more generally. For instance, the team met with the governor in Basse in the Upper River Region, Abdoulie Kah, who encouraged youth to get involved in local government and peacebuilding efforts. In the Lower River Region, the team met with the chairman of the Mansakonko Area Council, Landing B. Sanneh, who stressed that young people are the country’s future leaders and therefore they should be proactive in The Gambia’s development.
“The only way we can move forward as a country is when we the youth are ready to make a change and contribute our quota toward national development,” said Modou Mass Laye, country coordinator for Our Nation Our Voice, a youth-led Gambian organization and ICTJ partner advocating for peace, justice, and reconciliation.
The caravan also brought entertainment and joy to the communities it visited. There were music performances in English, Fula, Mandinka, and Wolof, during which young people and women sang and danced and expressed their hope for a better future.
The lineup featured female raper, activist, and founding member of Our Nation Our Voice, Awa Bling, and Fulani musician Momodou Mustapha Jallow, also known as Bobo Dimo. In 2019, in collaboration with Our Nation Our Voice and ICTJ, Awa Bling recorded the song Never Again and Bobo Dino the song Lei Dimaa to publicize the country’s transitional justice process and encourage participation in the TRRC’s public hearings.
About the caravan, Bobo Dimo said, “This initiative has successfully raised awareness about how implementing the government's white paper can contribute to reducing crime rates and preventing youth involvement in harmful drug use and I believe young people should take the lead in advocating and driving change as we are the strength of the nation. I encourage everyone to get involved and ensure our leaders are held accountable.”
Awa Bling, whose rapping career took off in 2012, has long used her music to address social issues, including sexual and gender-based violence, and has collaborated with nongovernmental organizations including ICTJ, to raise awareness about them. She is now the executive director of Music for Change Gambia, an organization dedicated to combatting sexual and gender-based violence through music.
“It is crucial for youth to be involved in transitional justice processes in order to effect change in our policies and hold our government accountable for their actions,” she said. “Our voices have power, and every young person should participate in decision-making processes to ensure equality and equity.”
Participants in the caravan repeatedly underscored the need for a security sector reform and reparations to victims, both key elements of the TRRC’s recommendations.
Sukai John, a young member of the organization Think Young Women, believes the longer it takes to implement the recommendations, the more the victims will suffer and the less likely they are to ever receive reparations. “During the Caravan, I directly heard from victims and their families, and they all emphasized the importance of reparations,” she said. “The justice process is moving slowly right now, but I get there are set steps for implementing the recommendations. However, there’s also the need for justice in all aspects for the victims.”
Abdoulie Bojang, father of one of the victims brutally killed by Gambian security forces during the student protests in April 2000, urged the young participants to learn more about their rights and responsibilities and to “participate in developing their respective communities.”
“The government and its agents all belong to youths,” he continued, “so therefore let’s join hands and hold them accountable to develop our nation.”
According to Mariama Marong, a young participant in Jamburr in the West Coast Region, the caravan was a very good move. Because it was the first time anything like it came to her village, she said many young people came out to show their interest and make their voices heard.
“I want to advise my fellow youths in the country that we are the leaders of tomorrow, and considering 60 percent of the population in the country are youths, we need to be involved in these decision-making processes for our better future and the future of our upcoming generations,” said Ms. Marong.
“We have to understand that TJ [transitional justice] is for the betterment of our country to make sure that what happened with the former President Yahya Jammeh does not happen again. We know the challenges we faced during that time and we are still facing those challenges, therefore, I believe the only way to overcome these challenges is to involve ourselves in the decision-making processes.”
______________
PHOTO: Young women in The Gambia’s Upper River Region actively participate in the caravan activities promoting justice and reconciliation. (Sukai John/Think Young Women)
