Former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh is accused of killing dozens of migrants in the country in 2005 including 44 Ghanaians.
A former Head of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice of Ghana, CHRAJ, Emile Short, wants government to take urgent steps to bring former Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh to Ghana, to face justice for the massacre of some 44 Ghanaians in 2005.
Under a coalition of Civil Society groups called CSO Coalition Partners on Justice to Jammeh Ghana Campaign, efforts are being made to get the government of Ghana to bring Jammeh to the country to face the courts.
The Jammeh to Justice Campaign is being coordinated jointly by activists and human rights lawyers in Gambia and Ghana. A leading international human rights lawyer Reed Brody, who prosecuted former Chadian dictator Hussein Habre, is leading the efforts to bringing Jammeh to justice.
In 2005, some Ghanaians who were in the Gambia attempting to join a vessel to Europe were allegedly killed by forces of the Gambian government allegedly on the instructions of Jammeh.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark one year of the advocacy to get justice for the families of the deceased, Emile Short said Ghana could do more to ensure that justice is served.
“National governments can assume jurisdiction in respect of serious crimes against international law. It does not matter where the crime was committed nor does it matter where the accused person is resident or whether the accused person is a citizen of the country that has taken over jurisdiction, there are other grounds on which Ghana can assume jurisdiction on this matter.”
“My plea to the government of Ghana is to take this matter seriously. I will urge the government to initiate and expedite actions, steps; legal, political, diplomatic to make sure justice is served. The family of the victims have waited for far too long and I think the government of Ghana holds to the families and Civil Society Organisations that justice is served.”
The only survivor of the massacre, Martin Kyere, has expressed disappointment in government for doing virtually nothing about the incident.
“Our independence has become meaningless to Africa and Ghanaian. We want our government to say, yes, it is time to find justice for the people…” he said.
Source: Citi FM News Ghana