I have been following this debate for a while and i must say that it
has
been a very healthy debate so far. There is no doubt that this move
taking
by Dr Sainea is a welcoming and timely move. After
all a lot had been said
already in this issue and One question i would like
to asked is that "what
would be the process of this healing or
reconciliation and what dimension
would it take?" Since people have
ironed out all their different positions
and as usaul am always sceptical
when it comes to the AFPRC Government.
Then again i will support any
genuine move towards this direction.
To me what strikes me most on
this debate is Dr sainea's final words "To
me, this is beyond
partisan politics. It is life of a people and of
future
generations."
For that matter I would like to add that a
genuine attempt should also be
made to reorganise the security forces and
institute human rights courses
and programmes as part of the curricula of the
armed forces and other
security services. This would help in building a
culture of subordination of the military to civilian authority and the respect
of human rights and rule of law within
those institutions. Those who are
resposible for gross human rights
violations should not allowed to hold
positions of authority where they are
likely to repeat those abuses; they
should in fact be disqualified from
holding high public office. As part of
the healing process, an
acknowledgement of the crimes by state, preferably by
the President
and a public apology to the victims and their families would go
a long way
in facilitating the rebuilding of confidence in the government and
help in
the healing process.
Finally, for an enduring stability that
will lead to social and economic
progress in the country, the importance of
accounting for human rights
abuses of the past cannot be over-emphasised.
These must be a process of
truth telling, reconciliation and accountability
for gross human rights
abuses. The governement must officially acknowledge
the violations and
atones to the victims and their families. Without this
being done, the
process of healing and forgivensss cannot
commerce.
Our role in this will be a practical and active participation
in the
development process of the country. What does that mean can also be
define
by individuals or groups.
The Struggle Continues!!!
Ndey
Jobarteh