By: Mercy Peter
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been asked to be cautious in its aproach to the proposed prosecution of crime suspects in The Gambia during the tenure of former President Yahya Jammeh.
The advice was given by the representative of Liberia at the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Taa Wongbe.
He made gave the advice at the sidelines of the recently concluded ECOWAS Parliamentary session, while speaking to newsmen on his perspective on the issue.
He said the call for facilitating the setting up of a special tribunal in The Gambia by the ECOWAS heads of state for the trial of perpetrators of heinous crimes In the country during the tenure of former President Yahya Jammeh, should be taken with caution, ensuring that ECOWAS remains neutral in order not to lose the confidence and trust of member states.
He emphasized that the regional body must not be seen or perceived to be taking sides or aligning with any of the parties, as such action will not only erode the confidence of member states but will also bring to question the credibility of the body as an independent organisation responsible for maintaining regional peace and the advancement of economic development in the West African sub-region, as well as setting a bad precedent.
Wongbe maintained that while it is legally justified and acceptable to punish those who have committed crimes against humanity in The Gambia, to serve as a deterrent to others in future, the institution of the ECOWAS should not be the vehicle to achieving that, in order not to set a bad precedence.
He, however, advised that The Gambia may explore the option of setting up the Tribunal as an independent state or approach the International Criminal Court (ICC) which has jurisdiction to try suspects that took part in the atrocities.
The representative criticized the role some member states played in the civil war in his home state, Liberia, by deploying troops in support of one party, saying that if ECOWAS had taken sides directly, Liberia would not have been comfortable to continue to be a member of the sub-regional body.
He explained that from the experience of Civil war in Liberia, which led him to seek refuge in Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire as an internally displaced person, with the attendant human rights violations and the economic as well as social dislocation of the country, no perpetrator of such crime should be allowed to go unpunished.
The ECOWAS heads of state had proposed to the Parliament for the setting up of a special tribunal for the trial of suspects who took part in the criminalities in The Gambia.
However, in a unanimous resolution, the ECOWAS Parliament rejected the proposal on the ground that it will present the West African sub-regional body as being biased.
It however advised The Gambia government to take whatever decision it deemed fit as an independent state.
