Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the recently concluded ECOWAS Parliamentary session, Hon. Wongbe emphasized the importance of ECOWAS remaining impartial. He warned that aligning with any party could erode the trust and confidence of member states and compromise the regional body’s credibility.
“The call for setting up a special tribunal in The Gambia should be approached with caution. ECOWAS must not be perceived as taking sides, which could undermine its role in maintaining regional peace and economic development,” Wongbe stated.
He acknowledged the legal and moral necessity of punishing those guilty of crimes against humanity in The Gambia but argued that ECOWAS should not be the vehicle for achieving this, to avoid setting a bad precedent. Wongbe suggested that The Gambia, as an independent state, could establish its tribunal or seek intervention from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Drawing from Liberia’s civil war experience, Wongbe criticized the involvement of certain member states that deployed troops in support of one party, suggesting that if ECOWAS had taken sides, Liberia’s continued membership would have been questioned. He stressed that perpetrators of such crimes should not go unpunished.
The ECOWAS heads of state had proposed setting up a special tribunal for the trial of suspects involved in the criminal activities in The Gambia. However, the ECOWAS Parliament unanimously rejected the proposal, advising The Gambia to handle the matter independently to avoid perceptions of bias.
“The Gambia should independently address these issues as an internal affair,” Wongbe concluded, reinforcing the need for the nation to decide on the most appropriate course of action.
