Only D50 Million Paid from D345 Million Allocated to Victims Reparations Since 2021

President Barrow and Finance Minister Keita (c) State House

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT

At least D60 Million has been allocated to Victims Reparations in the 2024 Executive Budget Proposal, however, nothing has been paid to victims since 2021. Since 2022 the Gambia Government continues to allocate millions of dalasis into reparations in the Approved Budget but has still not paid a butut to Victims with some victims already dying without receiving their reparations.

The 2024 Draft Budget shows that nothing was paid to victims in 2022 and that D75 million was allocated to Victims Reparations in 2023, however until today nothing has been paid to victims this year. In fact, back in 2022 the Government actually allocated D100 million to victims’ reparations, this amount was eventually revised downwards to D60 million in 2022. However, as stated in the 2024 Executive Budget nothing has been paid to victims in 2022.

According to the chart below which shows the amount of monies allocated in the Budget for reparations each year since 2021, if all the money allocated in the various Budgets totaling D345 million were paid to victims most of the reparations owed by the Executive would have been paid off by now.

Budget Allocations for Victims Reparations vs Actuals Spent (c) Askanwi Media

Reparations is an amount of money paid to victims who have been identified by the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). The TRRC is a defunct Commission which investigated the human rights violations that occurred under the leadership of the former President Yahya A J J Jammeh from 1994 to 2016. At the end of the Commission’s work, it has spent D13 million on interim reparations for victims who needed urgent medical treatment and an additional D37 million on initial reparations payments to victims.

Since then, numerous victims who received part payments are to be paid their outstanding amounts but this has not been forthcoming from the government. Instead, every year the Budget shows that D100 million was allocated to victims in 2022, D75 million was allocated to victims’ reparations in 2023 but nothing has been paid leaving victims frustrated with the hope that reparations payments will be paid and false promises when the year ends without any payments made.

Just earlier in November 2023 the President’s Office fast-tracked the tabling of four Bills in Parliament which were approved namely the Victims Reparations Bill, the Ban from Public Office (TRRC) Bill, the Former President’s Office Bill and the Commission of Inquiry (Amendment) Bill. Although there have been much public concerns on the former Presidents Bill, many have welcomed the Victims Reparations Bill which marks a positive step for victims to receive reparations.

 If the Commission for the Victims Reparations is established in 2024, then this would pave the way for victims to receive reparations next year. However, some advocates believe a Victims Reparations Bill is not necessary to conclude payments already initiated by the TRRC. However, for holistic reparation payments the Commission would be important to assess where additional reparations are required and if newly identified victims should be paid reparations and the amount to be paid.