From Jammeh’s Courtroom to the TRRC: Why Essa Faal Owes Gambians an Apology

Dr. Binneh Minteh argues that the former state prosecutor turned TRRC lead counsel and now presidential aspirant must confront his own role in The Gambia’s history of injustice.

Professor of Criminal Justice, Former Second Lieutenant, The Gambia National Army

Former Second Lieutenant Binneh Minteh, himself once among the alleged November 11, 1994 coup plotters, has again raised serious concerns about the credibility and integrity of former TRRC Lead Counsel, Essa Mbye Faal.

According to Minteh, Mr. Faal’s controversial past as a state prosecutor under the regime of former President Yahya Jammeh continues to cast a long shadow over his public service and political ambitions. Minteh recalls that Faal served as part of the prosecution team that tried and convicted several officers accused in the November 11, 1994 coup attempt, sentencing them to nine years in prison.

Minteh alleges that those convicted were severely tortured before their court appearances, and that their statements were obtained under duress. When the defendants appealed for their statements to be withdrawn or rewritten, Faal—then a State Counsel—and Justice Akamba reportedly rejected the motion, claiming that the statements were given voluntarily.

Among those prosecuted by Mr. Faal were. Staff Sergeant Abu Trawally. Couple Seedy Manjang, Couple  Kariba Camara, Sergeant Malick Nyan Kabareh, Couple  Omar Njie, and Private Lamin Babai Manneh. Minteh asserts that Faal’s subsequent role as Lead Counsel of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) was both ironic and inappropriate, given his prior involvement in cases linked to alleged human rights abuses.

He further claims that Faal deliberately prevented the November 11 victims from testifying before the TRRC in person, allegedly to conceal his own role and that of others involved in the prosecutions. Instead, their testimonies were accepted only in written form—a decision Minteh views as discriminatory and ethically questionable.

“When we carefully examine the foundation of the TRRC,” Minteh argues, “it becomes evident that the post-2016 revolution, which ended two decades of dictatorship, was hijacked by controversial and corrupt legal actors like Essa Faal, operating under the watch of former Justice Minister Abubacarr Ba Tambadou.”

Minteh questions how Faal, who once presided over cases marked by alleged human rights violations and procedural irregularities, could later be appointed to lead a commission tasked with uncovering the truth about state abuses during that same dictatorship.

“With such a record,” Minteh continues, “Mr. Faal lacks the moral authority and ethical competence to serve as Lead Counsel of a fact-finding body meant to expose the very injustices he once helped to perpetuate.”

Minteh concludes that Faal’s recent presidential ambitions further highlight what he calls “the contradictions of a man who served a criminal state that destroyed lives and subjected Gambians to inhumane conditions.”

He calls on Essa Faal to publicly apologize to Gambians and to reconsider his political aspirations, stating, “No wonder the TRRC report remains in limbo. It may raise more questions about truth, trust, and reliability than it provides answers.”

Yahya Jammeh’s Empty Promises and the Myth of His Return to The Gambia

 Every few months, we hear the same old voice note — Yahya Jammeh promising to “return home soon,” vowing to bring back his so-called “glory days.” But let’s be clear today, and let’s say it loudly for the world to hear: Yahya Jammeh’s return to The Gambia as a free man is practically impossible.

This is not about politics. It is about justice, accountability, and truth.

Yahya Jammeh ruled The Gambia for 22 years — 22 long, dark, and painful years — filled with fear, killings, disappearances, and corruption. He was not a president; he was a ruler who believed he owned the nation, its people, and even their souls.

Under Jammeh’s dictatorship:

Journalists like Deyda Hydara were assassinated for speaking truth.

Soldiers and civilians were executed without trial.

Entire families disappeared overnight — never to be seen again.

Women were violated and silenced.

Billions of dalasis of state funds were siphoned into his personal accounts while ordinary Gambians struggled to eat.

The Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) has already made it crystal clear — Yahya Jammeh is culpable for economic crimes, murders, enforced disappearances, and crimes against humanity. These are not allegations anymore; they are well-documented facts supported by testimonies and evidence.

Now, some of his loyalists claim that Jammeh can come back just like Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara did after exile. But let’s not distort history.

 Sir Dawda Jawara was a democrat. He left office peacefully and never killed, tortured, or stole from the Gambian people. His return was welcomed because it was based on reconciliation — not fear, not blood, not crime.

 Yahya Jammeh’s case is entirely different. His hands are stained, not with ink, but with the blood of innocent Gambians.

If Jammeh dares to return — which, truthfully, is 99 percent impossible — he will not walk freely in Kanilai or Banjul. He will be arrested, detained, and possibly extradited to face international justice, just as Charles Taylor was transferred from Liberia to The Hague to face trial for his atrocities.

Let me be honest: Jammeh’s voice messages are not a sign of strength. They are a sign of desperation — a man trapped in exile, surrounded by delusion, trying to remain relevant through audio propaganda.

 His so-called supporters who still believe he can return and “rule again” are trapped in a myopic fantasy. They forget that The Gambia has moved on — that this is a new era of democracy, freedom, and accountability.

Now, to those who are saying that Yahya Jammeh committed no crime and asking, “What is he wanted for?” — here is your answer:

 He is wanted for murder, torture, theft, and the destruction of innocent lives.

 He is wanted because mothers are still crying for sons who vanished without a trace.

 He is wanted because The Gambia deserves closure, justice, and peace after two decades of suffering.

And to the Fonnie parliamentarians who say that arresting Yahya Jammeh could destabilize the country — you have failed your people.

 The truth is, Yahya Jammeh killed more people from Fonnie than any other part of The Gambia.

 We still remember Macie Jammeh, Harouna Jammeh, Bubai Sanyang, Chief Momodou Lamin Nyassi, Dawda Nyassi, Jesaja Kujabi, and all the young promising sons and daughters who were massacred under his brutal rule.

 Their blood cries out for justice — not for political protection.

So let no one deceive you. Yahya Jammeh’s return will not bring peace; it will reopen wounds. It will not bring unity; it will divide our nation.

 True peace only comes through justice — and justice means holding Yahya Jammeh accountable for every crime committed under his watch.

Gambians are no longer afraid. We will not go back to those days of midnight knocks and secret detentions.

 We will not allow any man — no matter how powerful he once was — to rewrite our history or escape justice.

The truth is simple: Yahya Jammeh will only return to The Gambia in handcuffs — not as a hero, but as an accused criminal facing justice.

 That is not hatred. That is justice for the victims, peace for their families, and closure for an entire nation still healing from his cruelty.

To his supporters, I say this with respect: It is time to open your eyes. Defending Jammeh today is defending tyranny, not patriotism. The Gambia belongs to all of us — not to one man’s ego or ambition.

The future of our country will be built on justice, truth, and unity — never again on fear and oppression.

Thank you.

 Long live The Gambia.

 Yaya Dampha 

NPP DIASPORA Coordinator