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The story of Kerr Mot Ali represents one of The Gambia's most troubling unresolved human rights violations. Founded in 1777 and deeply rooted in spiritual traditions, this centuries-old community was shattered when its residents were exiled following religious persecution under the Jammeh regime.

Kebba Secka powerful testimony reveals how a shift in religious practice—from mainstream Islamic prayer to the "Haqiqah" path—triggered a campaign of harassment culminating in multiple illegal detentions of their spiritual leader and eventually the entire community's expulsion. Despite winning a decisive court case in 2017 granting them the right to return and reclaim their ancestral properties, and despite explicit TRRC recommendations for their restitution, the community remains in exile in neighboring Senegal.

What makes this case particularly haunting is the stark contrast between their treatment by two nations. While Senegal provides security, free electricity for religious programs, and refugee support, their homeland government effectively disowns them. "We are Gambians that have been sent off the soil of our motherland to another country," Secka explains with quiet dignity.

The Kerr Mot Ali situation exposes critical gaps in The Gambia's transitional justice process. As Secka pointedly observes, "If you cannot correct wrong A, B and skip C, it will haunt us in the future." This warning resonates beyond one community's plight to challenge the very foundations of reconciliation efforts nationwide.

This episode, brought to you by the Women's Association for Victims' Empowerment (WAVE), illuminates how religious intolerance can lead to profound human rights violations, and questions whether genuine healing can occur without fulfilling court-ordered restitution. Listen to understand why, seven years after court victory, a community still waits to go home.

What would it take for transitional justice to be truly inclusive in The Gambia? Join the conversation and share your thoughts on this unresolved chapter in the nation's history.

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Creator and Host : Ayeshah Harun , Co - Hosts : Lamin and Fatou

Let's keep the Memories of Victims Alive

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The Michael Correa trial currently unfolding in Denver, Colorado represents a watershed moment in international justice and accountability for crimes committed under authoritarian regimes. As a former "jungler" - a member of ex-Gambian President Yahya Jammeh's feared death squad - Correa stands accused of torture, extrajudicial killings, and crimes against humanity. This case marks the first time a jungler has faced trial in the United States under federal laws that permit prosecution for torture regardless of where the crimes occurred.

The testimony emerging from the courtroom paints a harrowing picture of life under Jammeh's dictatorship. Second Lieutenant Pharing Sanyang's account stands out as particularly compelling. When ordered by President Jammeh himself to assassinate journalist Dada Hydra, Sanyang took the extraordinary risk of refusing, suggesting instead that proper legal channels should be followed if Hydra was suspected of wrongdoing. This moral stance ultimately placed Sanyang on a kill list, subjected him to brutal torture, and eventually forced him to flee for his life.

The trial has revealed the systematic nature of torture employed by the regime. Witnesses have described being taken to Mile 2 state prison and the National Intelligence Agency headquarters where they endured cigarette burns, bayonet stabbings, pistol-whipping, and near-fatal beatings. Thamsi Jassay, an American-trained naval officer, recounted how Correa personally suffocated him with a plastic bag, forcing him to bite a hole in it just to breathe. The testimony included chilling details of how torturers would call President Jammeh during torture sessions, allowing him to hear the victims' screams over the phone.

What emerges beyond the horrific details of physical torture is a picture of moral resistance. Despite being offered material rewards, including a new pickup truck, to join the junglers, Sanyang maintained his ethical stance. His testimony challenges the defense's narrative that the junglers were merely victims themselves, forced to comply with orders or face death. Sanyang's response was clear: "I told the truth because they were looking for the truth." This statement encapsulates the courage required to stand against tyranny, even when doing so comes at potentially fatal costs.

The Michael Correa case represents more than just individual accountability; it symbolizes a crucial step in Gambia's journey toward national healing and reconciliation. By bringing these crimes to light in an American courtroom, survivors are not only seeking justice for themselves but are creating an international record of the atrocities committed under Jammeh's rule. This trial serves as a powerful reminder that geographic boundaries should not limit accountability for human rights violations, and that the passage of time does not diminish the need for justice.

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Creator and Host : Ayeshah Harun , Co - Hosts : Lamin and Fatou

Let's keep the Memories of Victims Alive

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From the corridors of power in Gambia to a federal courtroom in Denver, Colorado, the arc of justice bends slowly but decisively toward accountability. Join us as we witness history unfold in the trial of Michael Sang Correa, former member of the feared Jungler paramilitary group that terrorized Gambia under dictator Yahya Jammeh.

For decades, the Junglers operated with absolute impunity, carrying out extrajudicial killings, torturing opponents, and disappearing voices of dissent. Now, one of their own faces the weight of American law under the Torture Victim Protection Act. This landmark case marks the first time a member of Jammeh's brutal security apparatus stands trial in the United States for human rights violations.

Our reporting takes you inside the courtroom where survivors recount harrowing experiences of torture following the 2006 failed coup attempt. Their testimonies describe savage beatings, electric shocks, mock executions, and psychological torment that continue to haunt them years later. While the defense portrays Sang Correa as a soldier merely following orders, witnesses and former colleagues paint a different picture - one of a man who actively participated in brutality with clear agency and decision-making power.

What makes this trial extraordinary isn't just the charges but what it represents for transitional justice in Gambia. Each testimony breaks another brick from the wall of silence that has protected perpetrators for too long. For survivors watching from across the world, seeing their abuser finally face consequences delivers something precious that years of impunity stole: validation that their stories matter, that their suffering wasn't forgotten, and that justice, however delayed, remains possible.

Follow along with The Victims Podcast as we document this crucial chapter in Gambia's journey toward healing and accountability. Subscribe now to hear exclusive interviews, expert analysis, and reflections on what this case means for international human rights law and the ongoing struggle for justice worldwide.

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Creator and Host : Ayeshah Harun , Co - Hosts : Lamin and Fatou

Let's keep the Memories of Victims Alive