Last year, The Gambia's "president", Yahya Jammeh, revealed his cure for HIV and Aids. State media broadcasted a report on the president's healing powers on January 18th, and within days, hundreds began lining up at the presidential palace, awaiting his miracle remedy. Fridays and Saturdays were reserved for asthma, while those with Aids came on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
"One day of treatment, and then within three days, the person becomes once again seronegative," he told reporters. Unfortunately, the president declared, he is only authorized to cure less than 100 people. He didn't explain why.
And then on May 15 of this year during a political rally, Mr. Jammeh announced an ultimatum – gay and lesbians must leave The Gambia within 24-hours or face summary executions. The Gambia, mind you, is the current host for the African Commission on Human Rights. The Commission consists of eleven members selected "from amongst African personalities of the highest reputation, known for their high morality, integrity, impartiality and competence in matters of human and people's rights" (article 31 of the Charter).
Reading through the African Charter on Human and People's Rights makes a mockery of The Gambia, or is it the other way around? Article 19 reads: “Nothing shall justify the domination of a people by another.” Article 4 reads: “Human beings are inviolable. Every human being shall be entitled to respect for his life and the integrity of his person. No one may be arbitrarily deprived of this right”.and so on
Indeed, Jack Donnelly, a celebrated human rights scholar says the structures and will to implement the provisions in the Banjul Charter (i.e., the African Charter on Human and People's Rights) is weak to non-existent. In other words, Gambian gay and lesbians can expect no protection despite the eleven esteemed personalities sitting on the Commission in Banjul, The Gambia's capital.
Mr. Jammeh is an autocrat who seized power in a coup d'etat in 1994, thus ending at the time, the longest running multi-party democracy in Africa. Under his rule, innumerable human rights violations have cost the lives of innocent people. In 2000, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) shot to death 14 students peacefully protesting government policy. Mr. Jammeh's draconian rule of law and violent enforcement means The Gambia's gay and lesbians will have to endure yet another legacy of human rights abuse.
More of this to follow.
