The chairman of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission, Dr. Lamin Sise in a statement released on 4 August 2020, disclosed that the commission will suspend its public hearing until further notice. This development, according to the chairman, is due to the rapid surge of Covid-19 cases in The Gambia.

He said the decision was reached after careful consideration and consultations at the level of the commission as well as the Ministry of Justice. He added that the commission is ‘deeply concerned’ about the safety of commissioners and the staff of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC), witnesses, security personnels, media partners and the public at large.

“While the Commission is very keen on completing its work and submitting its final report and recommendations in good time, we are conscious of the fact that continuing our public hearings may put the lives of everybody concerned at risk of Covid-19 infection. We will therefore suspend the public hearings for now, and will inform the public as to when we will resume at the appropriate moment.”

However, Dr. Sise assured the general public that during the period of the suspension, the various committees of the commission will continue working on their respective agendas and the Commission’s Secretariat will remain partially open with some staff coming to work on a roaster system while others work from home. He concluded that the Commission’s Secretariat will also continue to receive complaints and statements from victims and witnesses of human rights violations.

 

By: Fatoumatta Samateh