The Parliament of the Financial Neighborhood of West African States (ECOWAS) has refused to undertake a draft determination on the institution of a particular tribunal for The Gambia, and the adoption of the tribunal’s statute below the watch of the ECOWAS.
The sixth parliament in a decision marked: ECW/PARL/RES.004/JULY/2024, deliberated and reached the decision to reject the draft determination on Friday in Abuja through the ongoing 2024 first unusual session.
The joint committee on authorized affairs and human rights, political affairs, peace, safety and APRM, social affairs, gender and girls empowerment of the Parliament had submitted a report on Thursday during which The Gambia had sought the collaboration of ECOWAS to arrange a tribunal to attempt human rights abuses within the nation.
The Decision was that whereas The Gambia has the sovereign proper to arrange a tribunal to attempt previous crimes, proper abuses and atrocities perpetrated particularly through the reign of former President Yahya Jammeh between 1994 and 2017, ECOWAS shouldn’t be a part of the tribunal within the nation.
After the decision, the parliament requested the Speaker, Memounatou Ibrahima to transmit it to the President of the ECOWAS Fee, Dr. Omar Touray for onward transmission to the chairman of the Council of Ministers, Nigeria’s Overseas Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar.
The Gambia established the Fact, Reconciliation and Reparations Fee (TRRC) in 2017 to research and doc human rights abuses dedicated within the nation between July 1994 and January 2017. This covers the interval Jammeh dominated the nation when he allegedly dedicated atrocities towards his personal folks and even different Africans.
The parliament defined within the decision that the draft determination into account was not submitted to it inside the time-frame required by its Supplementary Act, due to this fact members didn’t have ample time to completely study it.
The parliament famous that it was additionally aware of Article 9 of the supplementary act referring to the enhancement of the powers of the parliament, which specifies areas during which it should be consulted in group texts adoption course of.
A part of the decision reads:
The ECOWAS Parliament “Deeply is worried about peace and stability in West Africa, and in regards to the impression that the institution of the particular tribunal for The Gambia below the management of ECOWAS may have on peace and safety in The Gambia and the area.
The Parliament “Acknowledges the correct of The Gambia to determine a particular tribunal for the aim of prosecuting crimes, severe human rights violations dedicated on its territory between 22 July, 1994 and 21 January 2017, with a view to battle towards impunity, ship justice to the victims and protect respect for the rule of legislation within the nation.
The Parliament due to this fact “overrules the thought of creating the stated particular tribunal below the management of ECOWAS.”
