Civil Society Groups Urge EU to Impose Targeted Sanctions on Gambian Regime - CCG The Coalition for Change (CCG), Civil Society Associations Gambia (CSAG), the Campaign for Human Rights in The Gambia (CHRG), Democratic Union of Gambian Activists (DUGA), Sene-Gambia Human Rights UK, and the Campaign for Democratic Change – Gambia (CDCG) wish to express sincere gratitude for the tremendous contributions the European Union has made towards the socio-economic and political development of The Gambia. The raison d’être of this statement, however, is to once again draw attention to the deplorable and repugnant human rights situation in the country and to urge the European Union to adopt tough measures against the regime led by Yahya Jammeh. Despite the breathing spaces given to Jammeh since the near collapse of Article 8 Dialogue with the EU, the regime has deliberately and consistently raised the bar on flouting human rights provisions, as both the litany and calibre of cases continues to grow. It is our contention that urgent and decisive action is required now to save the Gambian people from despotism and to forestall potential political turmoil in the region. In particular, our groups call on the EU to: 1) Impose visa bans on Yahya Jammeh and his immediate family, all members of Cabinet, and all National Assembly Members; 2) Freeze assets belonging to Yahya Jammeh and his close associates and family members; 3) Closely monitor all EU multilateral aid and bilateral assistance from EU member countries to ensure that nothing is delivered to or through The Gambia Government; 4) Support the investigation and possible prosecution of Yahya Jammeh by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity; 5) Impose an embargo on all arms sales or shipments to The Gambia; 6) Provide financial and moral support to credible civil society groups in their efforts to end dictatorship and usher in a democratic dispensation in The Gambia; and 7) Encourage other countries or communities to adopt similar measures. The imposition of targeted sanctions would have virtually no direct impact on the population, yet it would carry a great deal of symbolic significance for Gambians. It would further demonstrate that the European Union is indeed with the people, and that it is willing to finally take the necessary measures to end despotism in The Gambia. Our groups, and indeed all Gambians, count on your support and decisive action to put a definitive end to Jammeh’s repressive regime.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Feb 2014 22:49:02 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015