Lone survivor of the 2005 massacre of 44 Ghanaians in the Gambia
The Jammeh2Justice Coalition led by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) have rehashed their call for justice for the victims and families affected by the killing of some 44 Ghanaians in The Gambia in July, 2005.
In an emotional press conference involving the families of the murdered Ghanaians, the Jammeh2Justice Coalition pressed home the failure of the erstwhile John Mahama-led government and the incumbent Nana Addo-led government to seek justice and closure for the victims and their families. Both leaders have been advantageously placed to deal squarely with the matter but failed to do so. Current President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was Ghana’s Foreign Minister when the unlawful killings occurred and was the first Ghanaian official to set foot on Gambian soil in the aftermath of the killings.
Journalists at the Jammeh2justice press conference in Kumasi
Former President John Mahama was also Vice president of Ghana when his government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Gambia in 2009, accepting a $500,000 donation from the Gambia, which was to be given to the families to help with burial expenses. Sadly, more than half of the amount was misappropriated. Sadly, none of the two former leaders has done anything towards seeking justice for the murdered Ghanaians.
The lone survivor of the gruesome massacres; Martin Kyere, who addressed the media chastised the political leadership for their disinterest in the matter and questioned whether it is because the victims were not people of repute but among the vulnerable in society.
The Coalition called on the Presidential candidates in the upcoming General elections to commit to ensuring justice and compensation for the victims’ families and survivors of the July 22nd massacre and disappearances of Ghanaians in the Gambia. “If we do not see justice soon from Gambia and Ghana, we will be forced to take the case to the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice”, Mr. Kyere said.
Sad relatives of the killed Ghanaians weeping during the press conference
About Jammeh2Justice Ghana Campaign
The Jammeh2Justice Ghana Campaign started when news broke about the killings of Ghanaians in the Gambia on July 23, 2005 by founding patrons Mr. Akoto Ampaw, Prof. Kwame Karikari, Hon. Nana Oye Bampoe Addo and civil society organizations led by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Media Foundation for West Africa and Africa Legal Aid.
In 2018, a coalition of Civil Society Organizations (Africa Centre for international Law and Accountability, CHRI, Amnesty International, HRAC, POS foundation, Media Foundation for West Africa) and led by the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) was formed to revive the campaign as new evidence by our international partners, Human Rights Watch and TRIAL International alleged Ghanaians were unlawfully killed by Gambian paramilitary group on the orders of President Yahya Jammeh, who coincidentally had lost power and fled into exile in Equatorial Guinea in January 2017.
Since the launching of the campaign, the coalition has undertaken several activities including engagements with key institutions such as the Ghana Police Service (Inspector General of Police, Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidency, media CSOs and individuals among others.
Further investigations conducted which led to the finding of other survivors of Ghanaians who suffered human rights abuses from Jammeh and his regime and assisted the survivors and the victims’ families to file affidavits before the Gambian Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission to help the TRRC hear the case of the migrants’ and possible reparation and justice to bring closure to the victims and their families.
In spite of the hard work and the support to the survivors and the victims, justice continues to elude the victims and their survivors.
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