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Families of Ghanaians killed in “Gambia Massacre” threaten to resurrect case at ECOWAS court
Family members of the 44 Ghanaians who were murdered in The Gambia in 2005 and the sole survivor, Martin Kyere, have appealed to the government to take meaningful steps to ensure justice and pay compensation to them.
They believed that the government‘s intervention to lead the campaign would go a long way to ensure that justice prevailed in the matter.
The Gambian government had set up the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Committee (TRRC) to investigate the massacre which happened under the rule of former president, Yahya Jammeh.
The spokesperson of the victims’ families, the survivor, Mr Kyere, expressed concern about the failure of the government for not doing much to ensure justice as well as payment of compensation to them over the years.
He said their call was under the auspices of Jammeh2Justice Ghana Campaign led by Mr William Nyarko, Executive Director of the Africa Centre for International Law and Accountability (ACILA) and Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana).
Mr Kyere recalled that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who was then the Foreign Affairs Minister when the killings occurred in July 2005, actually led a high-powered government delegation to The Gambia barely two weeks after the first eight bodies were found in the Brufut Forest.
Similarly, former President John Dramani Mahama, was the Vice President of the Republic when the NDC administration signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The Gambia in 2009 to accept a 5,000 US dollars donation from The Gambia, which was to be given to the families to help with the burial expenses of the victims, out of which more than half of the amount was allegedly misappropriated.
“However, to date, no one has said a word about the need to ensure justice and compensation to the victims’ families and survivors”, though there had been confessions made by three Gambian soldiers in July 2019 to the TRRC.
“We, therefore, call on the government to commit to ensuring justice and compensation to the victims’ families and survivors of the July 22 massacre of our fellow Ghanaians in The Gambia”, he said.
He stated “if we do not see justice soon from The Gambia and Ghana, we will be forced to take the case to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice”.
Mr Kyere indicated that, in October 2019, through the help of the Jammeh2Justice Ghana Coalition, which is spearheading the campaign to bring Mr Jammeh to book and compensation paid, a letter was taken to the TRRC that they qualified as victims under the TRRC Act 2017, and “that we have been waiting to appear before the Commission to have our case heard, to which the TRRC agreed”.
“But as I speak, the TRRC has not officially responded to our request, and we urge the Gambia TRRC to, as a matter of urgency, provide us with the requested information and let us have our day before the TRRC”, Mr Kyere said.
He called on the TRRC to request for a copy of the UN and ECOWAS fact-finding report about the July 2005 massacre which has never been made public.
From Kingssley E. Hope, Kumasi
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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