Lawyer Ousainou Darboe the Leader of the United Democratic Party(UDP), with his delegation visited the Centre for Victims and Human Rights Violations on Tuesday 29 June 2021 where he recalled Deyda Hydara’s fight against injustice in which he (Deyda) lost his life.
Lawyer Darboe said Deyda Hydara used the Good Morning articles that The Point Newspaper features on a daily basis since its existence to talk about things that people shy away from. The former foreign affairs minister under the administration of president Adama Barrow said Deyda Hydara’s death is very painful.

He added that even if nothing happens, the revelations at the TRRC should be an absolute comfort that there was a man who spent his life trying to fight injustice, pursuing the cause of justice and shaping the rule for a better democratic system,” he stressed. “I first became a victim in October 1995 when I wasn’t a politician but pursuing my legal practice helping and defending people,” Darboe added.

“I believe the pursuit of my legal practice landed me in the tension which I had to accept in a very philosophical way,”he said. He added that seeing Baba Hydara (son of late Deyda Hydara) at the Centre sends him recollecting the debt of his father’s commitment and patriotism Deyda Hydara who was killed by the past regime.

“The Victim Centre for Human Rights is never political but rather humanitarian,” UDP party leader said. He said the institution is complementing the government’s efforts in combating impunity, ensuring that those that took away the lives of their fellow Gambians are brought to justice, he noted.

According to the UDP leader, some people may think the Centre is pursuing a political agenda but No “this institution is humanitarian that cares for those people who could not stand up and speak for themselves,” he said.

Darboe said to his knowledge, the Centre shouldn’t only be supported by Gambians but by any person concerned and whether in government or not.  “UDP as a party will give absolute support to the Centre because that’s a mission I’ve embarked upon,” Ousainou Darboe explained.

Sheriff Mohammed Kijera, chairperson of the Gambia Centre for Victims of Human Rights Violations revealed that the Centre has registered more than one thousand two hundred (1200) victims across the country. He said the centre has established regional focal points that will assist in registering and taking statements of victims that are not in the urban area, he said.

Chairman Kijera added that they have established and facilitated a channel for the center’s outreach  mission across the country and even assisted the TRRC and other government agencies to reach out to the victims in the rural areas.

“Although I have been accused of being a member of UDP many times, I have no party political affiliations,” Sheriff Muhammed Kijera said. “I think part of development is to be self critical which is why we sometimes criticize the activities of government.”  He said it will come especially when the government fails to respond to some of the challenges and needs as a victim Centre in the ongoing transitional process, he said.

 

By Dawda Baldeh