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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 17 Jan 2020 : 13:00:39
By Lamin Cham January 17, 2020
The opposition Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) has yesterday laid its case before the United Nations, Ecowas, and AU, through their offices in Banjul, demanding the implementation of the crisis-resolving agreement they made that ensured the departure into exile of ex-president Yahya Jammeh in 2017.
The APRC had said this declaration, which was hailed by all stakeholders at the time and transparently published even on the UN website, provides for Mr Jammeh to return to his country among other things.
APRC said they have made several previous engagements with the various stakeholders involved in the joint declaration but no significant progress has been made, hence the need for a procession to make a public call for its implementation.
Backed by tens of thousands of supporters, the party interim leader Fabakary Tombong Jatta and senior officials led a procession from Sukuta-Jabang road to the offices of the AU in Bijilo.
They hoisted the Gambian and APRC flags on placards reading: “Babili Mansa must come back, Ecowas, UN, and AU implement joint Declaration Now”.
Countless others denounced the TRRC process, calling it a smear campaign while others accused the Barrow government of negating on an agreement made with Jammeh.
Basirou Cham, a supporter said the Gambia government is the biggest beneficiary of the agreement with Jammeh because it allowed them to settle down.
“I wonder why they are denying the existence of such an agreement between them. Are they afraid of Jammeh? The former President deserves to be back as has been agreed,” he said.
Eliman Manneh, another supporter who constantly blew his Gambia-flag drabbed Vuvuzela, said the protest march is a manifestation that the APRC is still alive and kicking. “They have done everything to suppress and scare us but they have failed. Our mission today is to demand justice for Yahya Jammeh. His right to come home must be respected. He has done a lot for this country and does not deserve to be banished from here,” he added.
Dodou Jah, the deputy party spokesman said the international community should take the joint declaration that ended the political crisis in the Gambia seriously because it can judge their credibility in future crises elsewhere. ”We are not making any demand; we are simply calling on the UN, AU and Ecowas to implement what they themselves have negotiated. And in any case, there is no law which says someone should be banished from their country no matter what he or she might have been accused of,” Jah said.
The interim leader, Fabakary Tombong Jatta while presenting the reminder to the AU, told journalists that the day was significant as it will make the international community, especially those involved in the Gambian political crisis of 2017, to take notice and be reminded about their roles and responsibilities.
“We had written to them earlier and they acknowledged receipt of it and agreed to receive the letter from us for onward transmission to the Chairperson of the AU Commission. It is simply to remind them that the declaration had provided for Jammeh to come back at any time of his wish. So as I have said, we are an opposition with a difference as we do not believe in violence or force and we respect people’s beliefs and thoughts even where we disagree with them. So we too expect people to respect our beliefs and views even if they disagree with us. There are also forces in the country not respecting our rights as a party and Gambians but we respect their views as our principle is tolerance for one another,” he said.
Mr Jatta thanked the Gambia government and the Inspector General of Police for issuing the APRC a permit to hold the procession.
He also used the occasion to criticise the European Union for meddling in the internal affairs of the country. Meanwhile, the Victim Center has also applied for a permit to held a counter demonstration later this month.
Additional reporting by Mafugie Ceesay
https://standard.gm/aprc-presents-case-for-jammehs-return/ |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Momodou |
Posted - 19 Jan 2020 : 13:35:29
APRC Get Their Response On Jammeh’s Return As Tambadou Vows Ex-Leader’s Arrest If He Dares Return
January 19, 2020
By Adama Makasuba
https://fatunetwork.net/aprc-get-their-response-on-jammehs-return-as-tambadou-vows-ex-leaders-arrest-if-he-dares-return/
Attorney General and Minister of Justice has vowed government’s readiness to take former president Yahya Jammeh to justice if he comes back.
Speaking at the official opening of 2020 legal year today, Abubacarr Tambadou said: “Let me make this clear, if former president Jammeh ever comes back he will be arrested and prosecuted.”
His statement comes days after thousands of pro-Jammeh supporters took to the street to demand his return. The protesters were largely APRC supporters.
Mr Tambadou’s comments also come days after the former dictator placed a call to deputy interim leader of APRC Ousman Rambo Jatta asking that the party stages a hold to demand for his return. |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 18 Jan 2020 : 15:30:31
By Lamin Cham January 17, 2020
The opposition Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) has yesterday laid its case before the United Nations, Ecowas, and AU, through their offices in Banjul, demanding the implementation of the crisis-resolving agreement they made that ensured the departure into exile of ex-president Yahya Jammeh in 2017.
The APRC had said this declaration, which was hailed by all stakeholders at the time and transparently published even on the UN website, provides for Mr Jammeh to return to his country among other things.
APRC said they have made several previous engagements with the various stakeholders involved in the joint declaration but no significant progress has been made, hence the need for a procession to make a public call for its implementation.
Backed by tens of thousands of supporters, the party interim leader Fabakary Tombong Jatta and senior officials led a procession from Sukuta-Jabang road to the offices of the AU in Bijilo.
They hoisted the Gambian and APRC flags on placards reading: “Babili Mansa must come back, Ecowas, UN, and AU implement joint Declaration Now”.
Countless others denounced the TRRC process, calling it a smear campaign while others accused the Barrow government of negating on an agreement made with Jammeh.
Basirou Cham, a supporter said the Gambia government is the biggest beneficiary of the agreement with Jammeh because it allowed them to settle down.
“I wonder why they are denying the existence of such an agreement between them. Are they afraid of Jammeh? The former President deserves to be back as has been agreed,” he said.
Eliman Manneh, another supporter who constantly blew his Gambia-flag drabbed Vuvuzela, said the protest march is a manifestation that the APRC is still alive and kicking. “They have done everything to suppress and scare us but they have failed. Our mission today is to demand justice for Yahya Jammeh. His right to come home must be respected. He has done a lot for this country and does not deserve to be banished from here,” he added.
Dodou Jah, the deputy party spokesman said the international community should take the joint declaration that ended the political crisis in the Gambia seriously because it can judge their credibility in future crises elsewhere. ”We are not making any demand; we are simply calling on the UN, AU and Ecowas to implement what they themselves have negotiated. And in any case, there is no law which says someone should be banished from their country no matter what he or she might have been accused of,” Jah said.
The interim leader, Fabakary Tombong Jatta while presenting the reminder to the AU, told journalists that the day was significant as it will make the international community, especially those involved in the Gambian political crisis of 2017, to take notice and be reminded about their roles and responsibilities.
“We had written to them earlier and they acknowledged receipt of it and agreed to receive the letter from us for onward transmission to the Chairperson of the AU Commission. It is simply to remind them that the declaration had provided for Jammeh to come back at any time of his wish. So as I have said, we are an opposition with a difference as we do not believe in violence or force and we respect people’s beliefs and thoughts even where we disagree with them. So we too expect people to respect our beliefs and views even if they disagree with us. There are also forces in the country not respecting our rights as a party and Gambians but we respect their views as our principle is tolerance for one another,” he said.
Mr Jatta thanked the Gambia government and the Inspector General of Police for issuing the APRC a permit to hold the procession.
He also used the occasion to criticise the European Union for meddling in the internal affairs of the country. Meanwhile, the Victim Center has also applied for a permit to held a counter demonstration later this month.
Additional reporting by Mafugie Ceesay
https://standard.gm/aprc-presents-case-for-jammehs-return/ |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 18 Jan 2020 : 15:25:33
APRC demands unconditional return of Jammeh as thousands take to the street
africa » gambia » Show Map
Friday, January 17, 2020
Thousands of supporters of the former ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) on Thursday morning gathered at the Sukuta/Jabang intersection and protested, demanding the unconditional return of former President Yahya Jammeh.
Yahya Jammeh is currently in Equatorial Guinea on exile after losing the 2016 presidential election to coalition candidate, Adama Barrow.
APRC supporters are calling on ECOWAS, AU, European Union and the government of The Gambia to respect the joint declaration which they claimed was signed in 2017, which gives Jammeh the right return to the country anytime he wants.
Protesters carried banners with different inscriptions: “Enough is Enough Babili Mansa Must Come Back; European Union Hands Off Gambia; Respect the Joint Communiqué and Agreement is Agreement; The Joint Declaration Must be Implemented and Now, European Union Stop Looting our Fisheries Resources among others.
Fabakary Tombong Jatta, the Interim Leader of the party after handed over; saying “the 2016 was the Presidential Election and that Gambian people went to the polls to elect their leader. However, when the final results were announced many couldn’t believe the dust of the point which resulted in the announcement of two results.”
The unfolding event after words, he said, had the potential to result to serious political and civil crisis. The evolving political situation during the time, Mr. Jatta continued, attracted attention both within and outside the Gambia; hence different thoughts on how to resolve the impasse emerged, citing interventionists and legalists among others.
The APRC leader said the interventionists privileged the use of external intervention to forcefully remove President Jammeh from office without granting him much of a leeway. “This perspective believes the threat of actual use of force or sanction against former President Jammeh is critical to ending the political deadlock.”
The Concessionists, he added, advocated for constructive engagement with President Jammeh with a view to convincing him to step down, saying this perspective didn’t accept military intervention as the best option, thus it therefore showed persuasion as critical to peaceful resolution of the dispute.
According to him, the legalists upheld the rule of law as central to ending the political jock-jack. The perspective recognised the sovereignty of The Gambia as panacea of the law in resolving the impasse.
“A combination of consensus by ECOWAS, AU and UN convinced former President Jammeh to exit power.”
He maintained that the APRC as a party therefore wish to acknowledge and salute the tremendous efforts underscored by former President Jammeh’s goodwill and statesmanship. He sided with the greater interest of Gambian people in order to preserve the peace, stability and security of the Gambia. It was also to maintain the sovereignty and integrity and the dignity of The Gambian people.
“In these circumstances, we the members of APRC on our accord demand the full implementation of the joint declaration regarding the unconditional and immediate return of Yahya Jammeh,” he told journalists in an interview.
Author: Momodou Jawo
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/aprc-demands-unconditional-return-of-jammeh-as-thousands-take-to-the-street |
| Momodou |
Posted - 17 Jan 2020 : 19:22:35
Letter from Gambian Ghanaian and international NGOs regarding accountability for Yahya Jammeh
January 17, 2020
To:
Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa
Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson, African Union Commission
Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, Commission President, Economic Community of West African States
RE: Yahya Jammeh’s possible return to The Gambia
Distinguished Friends,
Our organizations write to ask that the United Nations, the African Union and ECOWAS reaffirm that the exiled former president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, should not be exempt from efforts to ensure accountability for alleged grave crimes committed during his rule.
The government of The Gambia has stated on numerous occasions that it intends to pursue justice for the worst crimes committed during Jammeh’s rule. Yet, in recent days, the former president and members of his political party, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), have made repeated references to an “agreement” with your institutions that purportedly gave him assurances that if he left office and the country following his December 2016 election defeat, he would not be prosecuted. The APRC has announced that it will be writing to you to seek enforcement of the agreement and its alleged immunity guarantee.
That document, the unsigned Joint Declaration on the Political Situation in The Gambia of January 21, 2017, speaks of “the dignity, respect, security and rights of HE former President Jammeh, as a citizen, a party leader and a former Head of State as provided for and guaranteed by the 1997 Gambian Constitution and other Laws of The Gambia.” It contains no assurance against prosecution, nor should it, as amnesties for international crimes, including torture and crimes against humanity, run counter to international law, including the rights of victims to redress.
As you know, a Gambian Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) has already heard public testimony from victims as well as confessed perpetrators implicating former president Jammeh in numerous grave crimes during his 22 years in office. These include the rape and sexual assault of women, and ordering or instigating the killing and torture of political opponents, the murder of 56 migrants from Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo, and “witch hunts” in which hundreds of women were arbitrarily detained. Testimony is still expected regarding the “presidential treatment program,” in which HIV-positive Gambians were coerced to give up their medicines and put themselves in Jammeh’s care, sometimes with fatal consequences.
The government of The Gambia, which was never consulted on the Joint Declaration and has repeatedly rejected it, has noted that Jammeh’s record of “state-orchestrated disappearances, kidnappings, murders and incommunicado detentions, routine torture and incarcerations of perceived political enemies, journalists and members of the armed and security forces” is “being cased for potential criminal prosecution.”
Jammeh’s return to The Gambia under a misimpression that he enjoys an exemption from prosecution could also pose a threat to the stability of the country and its ongoing-transition to democracy. On one hand, the Gambian government has stated it “cannot guarantee … President Jammeh's safety and security were he to return to the Gambia.” On the other hand, Ousman Rambo Jatta, deputy APRC leader, has declared that any attempt to arrest Jammeh should he return to the country would lead to “bloodshed.” It should be noted that Mr. Jatta recently publicly threatened a TRRC witness who testified that she had been raped by then-president Jammeh. Given the history of threats, Jammeh’s return under protection from prosecution could also derail the ongoing truth-telling process, as other victims could be reluctant to testify about abuses they may have suffered at the hands of or at the instigation of ex-president Jammeh.
Yahya Jammeh, like all persons, is entitled to due process, including the presumption of innocence in any criminal proceedings. He should not, however, be permitted to stand behind the authority of the United Nations, the African Union and ECOWAS to avoid justice for alleged crimes against humanity including killings, torture and rape.
We respectfully ask you to support the government of the Gambia and reject any request to enforce an alleged immunity guarantee.
We have the honor to remain,
Africa Center for International Law and Accountability
African network against extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearance (ANEKED)
Afrikajom Center
AIDS-Free World
Amnesty International Ghana
Article 19 West Africa
Coalition for Change - The Gambia (CCG)
EG Justice (Equatorial Guinea)
Gambia Center for Victims of Human Rights Violations
Ghana Center for Democratic Development
Human Rights Advocacy Centre (Ghana)
Human Rights Watch
Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa
Media Foundation for West Africa
POS Foundation (Ghana)
Rose Lokissim Foundation
Solo Sandeng Foundation
Toufah Foundation
TRIAL International |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 17 Jan 2020 : 17:42:29
Friday, January 17, 2020
The victims of human rights abuses under the rule of former president Yahya Jammeh have expressed dissatisfaction over the police decision to issue a permit to APRC party loyalists to protest and demand for the return of their exiled leader.
“Considering the fact that The Gambia is going through a truth seeking and reconciliation process, the APRC protest demanding the return of former president Jammeh is a mockery of all victims of the 22- year Jammeh rule,” a statement from the Gambia Centre for Victims of Human Rights Violations stated on Thursday.
The Victim Center says it’s is dissatisfied with the decision. They called it highly inconsiderate and insensitive to the suffering victims who went through suffered during Jammeh’s presidency.
“By giving the APRC a permit to demand the return of Jammeh, they have been allowed to undermine and trivialize all the transitional justice processes.”
“While we recognize their right to protest, we believe that it is not done in good faith and it is geared towards mocking a nation. This party is demanding the return of a man who tried to stifle the voices of Gambians at all cost; who has brutalized, maimed, killed, sexually abused, tortured and victimized Gambians and non-Gambians in many ways,” the statement added.
Yusupha Mbye was shot on both legs by police officers in April, 2000
The Centre informs that they have also requested for a permit to stage a peaceful protest on the 23rd of January 2020 from the ARCH 22 to the Police Headquarters in Banjul, to express dissatisfaction with the issuance of the permit to APRC.
“The slogan for the Transitional Justice Process is ‘Never Again,’ and this party is protesting to take us back, which triggers not only the victims but the entire Gambian citizenry.”
The Gambia Centre for Victims of Human Rights Violations assures its continuity to working with relevant partners to facilitate justice for victims, through national, regional and international mechanisms to ensure that peace continues to prevail in the country.
https://www.chronicle.gm/jammehs-return-protest-causes-stir-in-his-victims-3/ |
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