The Gambia

AFPCopyright: AFP

A trial has begun in Germany of a Gambian man accused of being part of a death squad that assassinated opponents of the West African country's former president, Yahya Jammeh.

The defendant, Bai Lowe, is accused of crimes against humanity and murder, including the killing 18 years ago of a journalist, Deyda Hydara.

Mr Lowe, 46, has previously confessed to being a driver with the hit squad known as the Junglers, which reported directly to Mr Jammeh. He has not yet entered a plea.

Outside the courtroom in the German town of Celle, activists called for the ousted Gambian leader and his accomplices to be brought to justice.

The trial is taking place on the basis of universal jurisdiction; it allows a foreign country to prosecute crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, regardless of where they were committed.

An ally of The Gambia's former ruler Yahya Jammeh has been sworn in as parliamentary speaker following his nomination by President Adama Barrow.

In his maiden speech, Fabakary Tombong Jatta called for parliament to be the embodyment of nation-building and a beacon of hope.

His appointment as speaker came after Mr Barrow reached a deal with the Mr Jammeh's Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Consruction (APRC).

Mr Jammeh fled into exile in January 2017 after being defeated by Mr Barrow in elections.

Mr Barrow won a second term last year after announcing a pact with the APRC.

His National Peoples Party won the highest number of seats in parliamentary elections held last week.

Under Gambia's political system, the president can give five parliamentary seats to unelected members, as well as nominating the chamber's speaker, Reuters news agency reports.

Mr Jatta - who is the leader of the APRC - expressed his "special gratitude" to the president for nominating him.

You can watch the full speech here:

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Voting is under way in The Gambia, where the electoral body has assured citizens of a free, fair and transparent process.

A total of 53 parliamentary seats are up for grabs.

Of the 245 candidates in the running 19 are women - that's the highest number in the country's history of legislative elections.

Five legislators, including the Speaker, will also be appointed by the president, then approved by parliament.

The Gambia's Independent Electoral Commission told the BBC it had taken steps to ensure adequate security ahead of Saturday's poll.

Gambians famously use marbles to vote in elections, and the candidate with the highest number of marbles at the close of polls will be declared the winner.

Results are expected on Sunday. One of the main tasks facing the new legislative will be to vote for a new constitution - AFP reports that this is seen as essential by The Gambia's international partners to strengthen its democracy and limit the president's powers.

President Adama Barrow won the presidential election in December last year ahead of his rival and political mentor Ousainou Darboe.

That presidential vote was the country's first since the departure of former ruler Yahya Jammeh in 2017.

More about The Gambia:

• Why Gambians won't stop voting with marbles
• A quick guide to The Gambia

AFPCopyright: AFP

A Gambian man has been charged in Germany with being part of an army assassination group when former President Yahya Jammeh was in power.

Identified as Bai L, he is accused of participating in crimes against humanity, including the 2004 killing of Deyda Hydara, one of The Gambia’s most-respected journalists.

The federal prosecutor said Bai L had been a member of the elite unit known as “the Junglers” between December 2003 and December 2006.

On at least three occasions he had driven officers to locations where they had fired on Mr Jammeh’s opponents, the prosecutor said.

He was arrested in Hanover in March 2021 and has since been in pre-trial detention.

Mr Jammeh fled into exile after losing elections in 2017.

A truth and reconciliation commission set up afterwards heard from hundreds of witnesses about executions squads and other alleged rights violations committed under his 22-year rule.

For more on those seeking justice for Deyda Hydara, listen to last month's openDemocracy podcast.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

The UN Human Rights Council has appointed Fatou Bensouda, a former International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor and Gambian lawyer, to head a team that will probe alleged violations during the conflict in Ethiopia.

The team will have two other international experts: Kenyan lawyer Kaari Betty Murungi and Steven Ratner of the United States.

They will serve on the newly created International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia.

The UN rights body agreed last December to send international investigators to Ethiopia, where the federal troops and rebels have been fighting.

The commission was handed a one-year renewable mandate to impartially investigate allegations of violations and abuses committed by all sides in the conflict.

Adama Barrow has been sworn in as The Gambia's president for a second term after the Supreme Court upheld his re-election for a second time.

The Gambian presidency has posted footage on Facebook of the 56-year-old taking his oath of office.

The opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) had challenged the results of the 4 December election that saw Mr Barrow win with 53% of votes.

The UDP had said the vote was marred by widespread irregularities.

On Monday, the Supreme Court upheld its 28 December ruling, dismissing the opposition's petition.

Mr Barrow is a successful property developer who once worked as a security guard in London. He sprung a major surprise by defeating Yahya Jammeh during the last presidential vote in 2017.

Mr Jammeh's 22-year rule was marked by allegations of abuse, with witnesses telling a truth commission after he went into exile about state-backed execution squads and Aids patients being forced to take bogus cures.