On Monday, August 26, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) called on Ghanaian authorities to disclose information about the 2005 massacre of around 60 migrants in The Gambia. On July 22, 2005, Gambian security forces, under the regime of Yahya Jammeh, arrested and executed 44 Ghanaians, nine Nigerians, two Togolese, and nationals from Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal shortly after their boat arrived in The Gambia.
Since the massacre, victims’ families have condemned the Ghanaian government for its perceived inaction and “casualness” in seeking justice, despite sending a team to investigate the incident soon after it occurred. Although several investigations were launched, their findings remain classified, prompting continued demands from the victims’ families for their release.
Recent developments, including evidence and testimonies from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission established in The Gambia in 2019, have intensified calls for justice. The Commission’s report recommended prosecuting Yahya Jammeh and eleven of his associates for their involvement in the massacre.
The Gambia is in the process of setting up a hybrid court, comprising both Gambian and international judges, to address the crimes committed during Jammeh’s rule.