As part of their mandate for institutional reform, Commissioners of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission Tuesday 2nd April, 2019 embarked on a site visits to three locations
The three places visited were Fajara Barracks, Jeshwang juvenile prison and a Secret Detention Center in Kanifing. Led by Chairman Dr. Lamin Ceesay,
Commissioners first visited Fajara Barracks where they were taken on a conducted tour of the Barracks by Commanding Officer, Major Darboe and RSM WO1 Lamin Fatty.
During the visit, the TRRC delegation where shown the old cook house, the ante room, the sentry, the big old warehouse where former ministers of the Jawara administration where detained and allegedly mercilessly tortured. They also saw the back gates council members and their orderlies used when they attacked the barracks on the night of 10th November 1994 and the field where victims of the November 11th incident were allegedly summarily executed.
From Fajara Barracks, the TRRC delegation visited the Prison in Jeshwang where they inspected both the Juvenile and adult wings where 102 inmates are currently serving various jail terms.
The delegation was received by Commissioner Haruna Jobe who took them on a tour of the facility. At the adult wing, Commissioners visited blocks 5 and 6, where some of them raised concerns about the condition of prisoners. Meanwhile, a single old block labelled with the infamous name “BAMBADINKA” was found on the outskirts of the main adult blocks. Here, it is alleged that journalists, politicians and even security detainees were kept in solitary confinement and subjected to various forms of torture.
At the juvenile wing, commissioners were told that there are 14 inmates currently on remand and undergoing trial for allegedly stealing mobile phones. To everyone’s shock, the youngest inmate is aged 12, while other inmates are said to be at least 15 years old.
From the juvenile prison in Jeshwang, Commissioners visited one of the Secret Detention Centres in Kanifing. Metaphorically nicknamed the “safe house”, this structure has been allegedly used as a detention centre by former agents of the defunct National Intelligence Agency and the former president’s infamous hit Squad known as the jungullars. Here, we found hooks similar to those found on the walls at the National Intelligence Agency’s headquarters during the Commission’s visit and cell-like doors with no lights or ventilation. The ‘safe house’ is located in a settlement area near the prison. The place has a nice building where NIA officials are believed to have been residing.
The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations commission is mandated to probe human rights violations that allegedly happened between July 1994 and January 2017.
BY: Ansumana S.O Nyassi