ECOWAS Establishes Special Court for Gambia Dictatorship Crimes

The court will address atrocities committed during Yahya Jammeh's 22-year rule, marking a historic step for justice in West Africa.

West Africa's ECOWAS bloc approved the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute crimes committed under Gambia's former dictator Yahya Jammeh.
The court will focus on allegations of arbitrary detentions, sexual violence, and extrajudicial killings during Jammeh's rule from 1996 to 2017.
This decision follows years of calls for justice and recommendations from Gambia's 2021 truth commission to hold perpetrators accountable.
Recent international convictions, including a 20-year Swiss sentence for Jammeh's ex-interior minister and a German conviction of a Gambian military driver, have set precedents for accountability.
Gambia's Justice Ministry hailed the tribunal as a significant milestone for the country, the region, and the global fight against impunity.