Ghana Gov’t Refers Gambia to ECOWAS Over Massacre of 44 Citizens

Yahya Jammeh, Gambia's Glorified Boy Scout

The government has decided to refer the matter in which more than 40 Ghanaians were killed in The Gambia in July 2005, to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

This was contained in a press release signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Ms Oboshie Sai Cofie, and issued in Accra yesterday.

The statement said after reviewing the report, the government took a decision to refer the matter to ECOWAS to ensure that justice prevailed and that the perpetrators of the crime were individually and collectively held accountable for their actions.

"Ghana will also avail itself of all other diplomatic and international legal means to ensure that impunity does not triumph over accountability," it said.

"It recalled that during the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government meeting in Kampala, Uganda, a joint statement was issued by the governments of The Gambia and Ghana calling upon the United Nations and ECOWAS to oversee the conduct of an independent investigation into the killings.

The government took the opportunity to assure "grieving family members who are justifiably seeking the truth concerning the murder or disappearance of their loved ones" and urged them to remain calm while a full-scale international investigation was conducted.