I don’t know how and why Haji Jawara became the Gambia’s honorary consul in Angola, but I think the Minister of Justice need to educate him about transitional justice and his role as a so-called honorary consul.
His call for forgiving Jammeh is not only irresponsible but also undermines a stated government policy and a direct affront to national security. It is just recently that ECOWAS has endorsed the setting up of a special tribunal for the Gambia purposely to prosecute crimes committed during the Jammeh Dictatorship. Already the Government has created necessary pieces of legislation for that purpose. The Government has also created offices for that purpose, not to mention spending millions in the TRRC to arrive at this point.
Jawara needs to be informed that the prosecution of Jammeh is not a matter for the Government to hold or drop. Rather it is a non-negotiable legal imperative to hold it to conclusion. Failing to do so can only reflect complicity, irresponsibility and impunity aided and abetted by the Government against our citizens. This can only perpetuate further suffering and division and further threaten the peace and security of the country.
The issues he is raising about corruption in the Government are not substitutes to the prosecution of crimes committed by Jammeh. It’s total false equivalence and misconception.
Reconciliation is not achievable in the absence of truth and justice. Forgiveness is not achievable in the absence of acknowledgement and remorse by the perpetrator. Until today Yaya Jammeh and his supporters refuse and deny the crimes committed during his Dictatorship. They are unrepentant and unremorseful. They continue to celebrate that despicable period with nostalgia and total disregard for the suffering and pain of victims. Who is Haji Jawara therefore to tell us that reconciliation is more important than to hold Yaya accountable?
Jawara must realize that Pres. Barrow has a duty to enforce the law and this includes to prevent, detect and punish corruption and corrupt officials. So let him call on Barrow to do his job in that regard. Period. Fighting corruption is no excuse not to prosecute Jammeh and his co-perpetrators which is necessary to heal the soul of this nation.
Before speaking about forgiving Jammeh, Mr. Jawara should have gone to each and every victim to ask them about that. But failing to do that only to speak for forgiveness when he is not directly affected by the crimes of Jammeh is insensitive and ungodly. There are people whose children, fathers or mothers were tortured, raped, disappeared and killed. Can Jawara speak for those people? What moral or legal authority does he have to be their spokesperson?
It is important that people know their rights and responsibilities, hence their limitations thereof. We recall the late OJ Jallow publicly declaring that he had forgiven his torturers. He has a right to do that because he was a direct victim. But he spoke only for himself.
But Jawara was never tortured nor killed by the Junglers under the orders of Yaya Jammeh. If he were, he could speak for himself. But he does not have the right or authority to speak for other victims especially without their consent!
I urge Pres. Barrow and Justice minister Dawda Jallow to respond to Jawara that he is speaking outside of his responsibilities and competence. He should be reminded of the transitional justice process and limit himself to his area of responsibility. I urge the Government to totally disregard the comments of Haji Jawara but continue vigorously to pursue the path of transitional justice.
For the Gambia Our Homeland.
Madi Jobarteh
Boraba
