Demba Dem, the fourth plaintiff in the crimes against humanity trial of Gambia's former interior minister, Ousman Sonko, has told the court that Sonko sat on an investigative panel that oversaw his interrogation and torture. Dem was a Gambian lawmaker for ex-President Yahya Jammeh's Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) party in 2006 when Dem was arrested by security officials over his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to overthrow Jammeh. (Dem has always maintained his innocence and denied being involved in the attempted coup.) In the aftermath of the attempted coup, close to 70 Gambians-military officers and civilians, including Dem-were allegedly arrested and subjected to horrific torture at the complex of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), on the outskirts of Banjul. 'The suspects were all tortured at the NIA. Evidence was fabricated and used against them to convict them of treason,' Gambia's Truth Commission found. Those tortured also included journalists Madi Ceesay an d Musa Saidykhan, both of whom are expected to testify against Sonko in the coming days. Dem is the third plaintiff before the Swiss court to testify on events related to the alleged 2006 attempted coup. Sonko faces allegations that he participated in the panel that oversaw the interrogations and torture of detainees, charges he has denied. If found guilty, Sonko could face up to 20 years in prison and deportation at the end of his sentence. As the landmark trial enters its second week on Monday the court will hear from six more plaintiffs. A tenth plaintiff, Nogoi Njie died in September while waiting for her day in court, allegedly from injuries inflicted by Sonko and the hit squad under his direction, in 2016. Sonko's alleged crimes extended beyond Gambia. Among the crimes attributed to him is the 2005 killings of about 44 Ghanaians, nine Nigerians, two Togolese, and nationals of Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal along with a subsequent effort to cover them up. West African governments have demanded accountabili ty in this case. After Jammeh's election defeat in 2016 the new government established a Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission to examine his alleged crimes. The Commission found at least 600 people were involved in human rights violations and crimes during Jammeh's 22-year rule. At least 71 were recommended for prosecution. Just eight have faced prosecution for Jammeh-era crimes inside Gambia. Sonko is the second Jammeh official to face prosecution in a European jurisdiction, under the legal principle of 'universal jurisdiction' which holds that crimes committed against all humanity can be tried anywhere regardless of where they were committed. Sonko is being tried in Switzerland where he sought asylum in 2016. Bai Lowe was convicted in Germany in November 2023. Michael Sang Correa, another alleged member of the hit squad, is scheduled to be tried for torture in the United States in September, 2024. 'The universal jurisdiction is narrowing the space for perpetrators,' said Gambian human rights lawyer Abdoulie Fatty. 'It also gives hope that slowly but surely the perpetrators cannot escape. That they can run but they cannot hide.' Source: Ghana News Agency The Luxury Norwegian Dawn, the longest cruise liner for this season, made its maiden call at Mombasa's port with 2212 guests from at least 54 nationalities and 1113 crew members on board. Speaking during the cruise's stopover at the Mombasa port, Kenya Port Authority (KPA) Managing Director (MD) Capt. William Ruto said cruise tourism season has commenced on a high note, and with such vessels calling on the port, the industry had prospects of better returns. The MD noted that the Kenya Ports Authority has put substantial investment into the infrastructure, which has allowed the port to continue delivering efficient and reliable services, which in turn has boosted the attractiveness of such vessels to the port. 'The kind of infrastructure we have in place as the Kenya Ports Authority is tailored towards supporting cruise tourism. We are up to the task in terms of aspects like security, and we assure both guests and staff that the port of Mombasa is safe,' said Ruto. In his first call of the year, he urged v isitors to explore Mombasa's white sandy beaches and historical sites to boost the local tourism industry. On his part, Mombasa County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in charge of tourism and trade, Mohamed Osman, lauded the efforts by the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) and KPA for the symbiotic relationship that has made such strides in the tourism sector achievable. He added that stakeholder synergy is the bedrock of success, and as the County Government of Mombasa, they are fully committed to working towards realising the blueprint set out in the tourism industry, which is the backbone of the port city. 'As Mombasa County, our role is to build a conducive environment for tourism growth, working with all relevant stakeholders to make Mombasa the premier destination in the region, 'said Osman. Capt. Asen Gyurov of the Norwegian Dawn thanked the Kenya Ports Authority management and lauded the seamless reception the liner received at the port on its maiden call. Gyurov expressed hope that the port will transf orm into a turnaround port for vessels in the future due to its exceptional performance. Source: Kenya News Agency
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