The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has approved the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute crimes committed during the military rule of former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh. The decision, hailed as a historic milestone, was announced during a summit of regional leaders in Abuja, Nigeria, on Sunday.
The tribunal will address human rights abuses, including arbitrary detentions, sexual violence, and extrajudicial killings, that occurred during Jammeh’s rule from 1996 to 2017. Despite losing the 2016 presidential election, Jammeh initially resisted stepping down before going into exile in Equatorial Guinea.
The push for accountability gained momentum after a 2021 Gambian truth commission recommended prosecution of those responsible for crimes during the dictatorship. The announcement also follows recent legal actions abroad: in May, a Swiss court sentenced Jammeh’s former interior minister to 20 years for crimes against humanity, and in November, a German court convicted Gambian Bai Lowe for murder and crimes against humanity linked to Jammeh’s regime.
Gambia’s Ministry of Justice welcomed ECOWAS’s decision, describing it as a “historic development” for the country, the region, and the global fight for justice. The tribunal marks a significant step in addressing long-standing demands for justice by victims of Jammeh’s regime.