- The government of Ghana has announced its decision to refer Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) over the murder of about 44 Ghanaians on the coast of The Gambia in July 2005.
Ghana's Minister of Information and National Orientation, Oboshie Sai Cofie, who divulges the news to the press, reiterates the Kufuor government's firm resolve to bring closure to the dust surround the murder and disappearance of Ghanaians in The Gambia.
The recent decision taken by Ghana came following the submission of the final report of the Ghanaian team charged with investigating the incident.
“After reviewing the report, Government, as a next step, has taken a decision to refer the matter to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)," Cofie said in a statement, further revealing that Ghana will also continue to avail herself of all other diplomatic and international legal means to ensure that impunity does not triumph over accountability."
This latest measure is meant to ensure that justice prevails and that the perpetrators of the crime carried out on the Ghanaian nationals in The Gambia are individually and collectively held accountable for their actions.
“The Gambian authorities, at the margins of the last Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), have agreed to a third party independent authentication of the investigation by either ECOWAS or other international bodies. Ghana remains committed to its investigations and is reviewing available options to seek the appropriate remedies that would bring closure to both victims and their families,” the Information Minister said.
During the last Commonwealth Heads of State and Government meeting in Kampala, Uganda, a joint statement was issued by the governments of The Gambia and Ghana, calling upon the United Nations and ECOWAS to oversee the conduct of an independent investigation into the killings.
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