Victims’ representatives criticize Sonko’s professed ignorance
Published: Tuesday, Mar 5th 2024, 18:20
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In their submissions, the representatives of the victims, who have constituted themselves as private plaintiffs, showed why they consider the accused Gambian former Minister of the Interior, Ousman Sonko, to be an accomplice to the torture and killings committed by their clients. They gave examples of why Sonko's statements should not be believed.
The regime of former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh was a "well-oiled machine of repression" in which the security forces worked together in a remarkable, systematic way.
The police, secret service, the Junglers' paramilitary unit and the prisons had formed an apparatus that served as a massive deterrent to the population. This was stated by one of the victims' representatives on Tuesday.
This machinery had been operated as part of the widespread attack against the civilian population, and the now 55-year-old Sonko had been part of it. The lawyers repeatedly criticized the defendant's statement that he had only heard about the torture, abuse and rape in Switzerland.
Central functions filled
This was practically impossible, the lawyers said. In the course of his career, Sonko had held all the important posts in the Gambian security apparatus. He was commander of the State Guard, which was responsible for the president's security. He was later appointed Inspector General, the highest police officer in the country, and then served as Minister of the Interior for around ten years. As such, he took part in the weekly meetings of the National Security Council.
During this time, it was not only the media that denounced the regime's repression. International organizations also criticized the conditions in The Gambia. For example, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan E. Méndez, spoke of "decades of repression, intimidation and fear" in his 2014 report on the torture situation in The Gambia.
Numerous statements made by people before the Gambian Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) also indicate that the accused was a cog in the machine and steadily pursued his career in this system. Numerous people also stated that Sonko was a close associate of President Jammeh.
Proceedings in The Gambia
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has charged Sonko with numerous crimes against humanity committed between 2000 and 2016 and is demanding a life sentence. After his dismissal as Minister of the Interior in September 2016, the accused fled to Sweden via Senegal and traveled from there to Switzerland, where he applied for asylum on 10 November 2016. He was arrested at the end of January 2017 and has been in custody ever since.
As the OAG explained in its plea, proceedings were opened in The Gambia in May 2017 against Sonko for the murder of seven people in 2006. The current status of the proceedings is not known. (Case SK.2023.23)
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