By Tabora Bojang
Over three hundred youth and children from the West Coast Region towns of Brikama, Bwiam and Gunjur are recently sensitized on transitional justice, TRRC as well as the fundamental rights and roles children and youth play in the transitional justice process.
The sensitization forums, funded by Unicef are amongst other things meant to encourage the participation of children and youth in transitional justice process and initiate constitutional, legislative and institutional reforms during which their participation and representation is essential.
Speaking at one of the events, the Governor of WCR Ebrima Mballow applauded Unicef and its partners for the initiative while maintaining that it is the right of children to be protected against human rights and any form of violations.
He said the Government of the Gambia and all other relevant stakeholders found it imperative and are committed to protect and develop young people for the future development of the country.
The participation and inclusion of children and youth, he observed, is a step in the right direction that will augment their voices to take up responsible roles in the transitional justice process.
He advised young people to take the workshop seriously while urging victims to reveal their doubts, complaints and to register with victim’s center so that truth will prevail.
Mariama Singhateh from the Ministry of Justice said the major objective of transitional justice is to heal the wounds of repression and investigate the past atrocities of the former regime.
“The TRRC is meant to promote unity and reinstate the dignity of the Gambian people for us to move on and heal our nation,” she said, adding that the commission will also set to “reveal how the system was” and to restore the needs of the victims and put in recommendations and way forward that will avoid reoccurrence of such practices.
