Pressure is mounting on the United Nations to release a report on the killing of more than 50 Ghanaians and other West African migrants in the Gambia.
The migrants were killed in 2005 under former leader, Yahya Jammeh, with rights groups claiming Mr. Jammeh ordered the killing.
A previous UN-backed investigative report apparently concluded that Yahya Jammeh who is now in exile in Equatorial Guinea didn’t order the killings.
Families of victims of the massacre last year launched a major campaign to seek justice. They wanted former Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh brought to book.
The renewed calls for justice came on the back of fresh evidence from Human Rights Watch and Trail International that links Jammeh to the killings.
Where is the report?
But the report on the killing is yet to be made public by the United Nations and regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
On Thursday five United Nations human rights monitors urged the UN and ECOWAS to release their report on the massacre.
Human Rights Watch and TRIAL International said the delay in bringing Jammeh to book is unacceptable.
The human rights monitors in October 2018 wrote to the UN and ECOWAS. They urged them to release the report on the massacre publicly and deliver copies to the victims and their families.
In a statement on Thursday, Human Rights Watch said relations of victims of the massacre are traumatized that bringing Jammeh to book has taken that long.
A survivor’s demand for justice
“Why is this report still being hidden from us? Who are the United Nations and ECOWAS protecting?” said Martin Keyere of Ghana.
Martin is believed to be the sole known survivor of the massacre. He told the Human Rights Watch that “I want to know who is responsible for all this suffering.”
The spokesperson for #Jammeh2Justice, Fatoumatta Sandeng said the “Release of the UN/ECOWAS report would be a meaningful step toward accountability for this horrible crime,”.
Fatoumatta is the daughter of the Gambian opposition leader Solo Sandeng. His murder in April 2016 galvanized opposition to the Jammeh government.
“The report could provide key leads and add impetus finally to get to the bottom of what happened,” she added.
Source: Africafeeds.com
