Texte juridique · Statement by H.E. Badara Joof,…

Discours du Vice-Président gambien Badara Joof à l'ouverture de la 73e session de la Commission Africaine des Droits de l'Homme et des Peuples à Banjul. Il salue le travail de la Commission et détaille les suites du rapport de la Commission Vérité, Réconciliation et Réparations (TRRC) sur les violations des droits humains de 1994 à 2017. Le gouvernement a accepté 263 des 265 recommandations, prévoit des réformes, des réparations et la création d'un Conseil national de paix. Il évoque également…

STATEMENT

VICE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA ON THE OCCASION OF THE 73rd SESSION OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES' RIGHTS

BANJUL 21 OCTOBER 2022

My Lord the Chief, Justice Hassan B Jallow

Your Excellency Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission;

Your Excellency, Hon. Mudford Zachariah Mwandenga Chairperson of the ACHPR

Your Excellencies, Commissioners of the ACHPR

Your Excellencies Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps

Honourable Ministers

Members of the National Assembly

Members of the National Human Rights Institutions

Chairperson of the NGO forum

Delegates from the African continent and beyond

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

I must foremost extend my fraternal greetings and heartfelt welcome to the Chairperson and Commissioners and to all delegates for gracing this occasion. I was made to understand that the last time the Commission and its delegates met was three years ago. Welcome to Banjul and to the home of the African Commission.

Notwithstanding the pandemic, the Commission has been performing its function and has been meeting all in an attempt to resolve serious issues confronting the Continent. I must use this

unique opportunity to commend the ACHPR for the work it has been doing in the interest of creating a better Africa for us all.

You will recall that the Government established the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) through an Act of the National Assembly to investigate and create an impartial record of the human rights abuses committed from 1994 – 2017 in order to deliver justice, accountability, promote healing and reconciliation to all persons affected during this period. The TRRC has delivered on its mandate and provided a report to the President on the 25th November, 2021.

The entire report was made public one month after its presentation to the President who directed that work on the white paper be commenced through a very consultative and inclusive process. On the 25th day of May, 2022 the government released its white paper on the report of the TRRC. The white paper represents the government’s position on the recommendations of the TRRC. The white paper is unprecedented in the history of truth commission given the reality that out of the 265 recommendations made, the government accepted all rejecting only two.

We are confident that as a government we now have a clear roadmap towards reconciliation, justice reparations, and ensuring non reoccurrence. The implementation of the white paper will see the introduction of broad based reforms which the government intends to carryout.

Enforced disappearance and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) were prevalent themes during the TRRC. The government wishes to underscore its commitment to implement the recommendations of the TRRC in SGBV by investing more on education, research, training and behavioral change. Behavioral change in the sense that the patriarchal nature of our society and attitude towards women and the girl child need to change.