It’s April again and preparations are underway to remember the massacre of students on April 10th and 11th 2000. This was a dark day in the history of The Gambia. It was the day when security forces, who are supposed to protect the people of the country, opened fire on young children killing many and maiming others.
It is twenty-five years now, and eight years after the coming into being of the new government, yet victims and their families are yet to receive any form of justice or compensation. One would have thought that after coming into office, the new government would’ve given this the highest priority, ensured compensation and perpetrators brought to book.
Some of those who suffered from gunshot wounds and other forms of injury say that survivors and the families of those who lost their loved ones continue to live with pain and deprivation as the incident left many of them in a state that they cannot continue to do what they used to do for survival. It became impossible for them to earn a living and as such need assistance from the government.
In fact, many of them have raised their concerns that some of the people who helped Jammeh’s tyranny are the very ones enjoying the benefits of the new era while those who were opened fire on are abandoned. It seems that the transitional justice is stalling and that is why it is taking too long for justice to be done.
With the change of government it was thought that within a short time there would be some form of justice and that the victims would be compensated so that they would be able to continue to survive while they wait for the time that justice will be done for them to have closure.
The government is hereby urged to endeavour to expedite the transitional justice process so that the victims will be compensated and the perpetrators brought to book.
