By Alieu Jallow
Ayesha Haruna Jammeh, a victim of human rights violations under President Yahya Jammeh, has said she can only forgive when justice is delivered to the victims.
Ayesha, a niece to former president, at the age of 14 lost her father, Haruna Jammeh, when President Jammeh allegedly ordered his killing.
She said her father was a peaceful man, and his disappearance had left a deep scar in her.
Ayesha still asks what could be the reason why Jammeh reportedly gave orders to kill his father and aunt, and wants to have the opportunity to face Jammeh to ask him that question.
That Haruna Jammeh was killed was revealed during the public hearings of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission, TRRC, which is yet to make public public its findings.
Ms Jammeh currently serves as the program officer for the Victims Center in The Gambia, and says she is committed to making sure justice is served, when the TRRC report on human right violations under Yahya Jammeh comes out.
She is aware that fostering reconciliation is a mandate of the TRRC. However, she believes that reconciliation should be a victim-led process, and not the state or the TRRC forcing victims to forgive and forget.
She suspects a lack of political will to bring perpetrators of crimes under Yahya Jammeh to justice, following the alliance of Jammeh’s former ruling party, APRC, with the party of the incumbent, Adama Barrow.
