Five CSOs Commemorate 26 Years Since April 2000 Student Massacre, Demand Government Action

Commemoration Event Flyer

Joint Statement on The Commemoration of 10th and 11th April 2000

Issued on Friday 10th April 2026

Signed by Fantanka | Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA) | Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice | WAVE | Activista | Team Gom Sa Bopa

Today, we join the nation in solemn remembrance of the tragic events of April 10 and 11, 2000, days that remain a painful reminder of the consequences of unchecked power and the cost of demanding justice.

Twenty-six years on, we honor the memory of the students who lost their lives and those who were injured while peacefully protesting for accountability, dignity, and the rule of law. Their courage keeps motivating a generation committed to building a more just, accountable, and democratic Gambia.

We also recall that these protests were precipitated by grave abuse of power against the rights of young people, including the rape of a student girl with great potential, an act of sexual and gender-based violence that killed her potential. This dimension must not be erased from our collective memory, as SGBV and gendered injustice continue to undermine future potential, particularly of women and girls.

These events were not isolated; they were emblematic of a broader system of repression that characterised the era of Yahya Jammeh, a system that silenced dissent and undermined fundamental rights. Remembering April 10 and 11 is, therefore, not only about honouring the victims but also about confronting our past with honesty and resolve.

As organisations committed to justice, accountability, and citizen empowerment, we emphasise that remembrance must go hand in hand with action. The recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) provide a critical pathway toward justice. However, many victims and their families continue to wait for full accountability and meaningful reparations.

In this light, we remind the government that since it accepted some 20 TRRC recommendations relating to the Student Demonstrations and Freedom of Assembly back in May 2022, only one has been implemented. A thorough look at the recommendations shows that only the procurement of police equipment for handling demonstrations has been implemented by the government.

On the other hand, one recommendation calling for the establishment of a rehabilitation centre or fund to support victims has not been fully implemented. Although the Reparations Commission has been established, it has not been fully supported by the government, with approximately D20 million invested in reparations in late 2025. Meanwhile, the Janneh Commission investigation recovered over D1 billion of former President Jammeh’s assets, which the government spent without supporting the victims.

The TRRC places some responsibility on the lower and tertiary education ministries to implement recommendations that will guarantee the non-reoccurrence of the Student Massacre, such as the urgent need to memorialise the Student Massacre. In addition, the two education ministries are tasked with establishing a complaint mechanism for student bodies and an annual meeting with student bodies.

We recall that memorialization is not symbolic alone but a core component of reparative justice. Victims and their families have consistently expressed the desire for meaningful forms of remembrance, including the renaming of the Westfield monument to reflect the legacy of April 10 and 11. This demand should be given due consideration as part of a victim-centered reparations and memory process.

We therefore call on the Government of the Gambia, particularly the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the Ministry for Higher Education, Research, and Technology, to support and progress memorialisation plans with the victims for 10th and 11th April 2027 and to establish a complaints mechanism to avert a similar incident.

One of the most urgent recommendations involves the medical condition of some of the victims, which has been so urgent that some were flown abroad for medical treatment during the TRRC. However, a thorough assessment is needed for all victims with health complications, with some desperately needing urgent medical attention.

In this same vein we call on the government to ensure that all victims are paid their reparations in full before the April 2027 commemoration.

We therefore call on the government of the Gambia to do the following:

●       Expedite the full and transparent implementation of TRRC recommendations

●       Ensure accountability for perpetrators through credible and victim-centered justice processes

●       Provide timely and adequate reparations to victims and their families

●       Strengthen institutional safeguards to prevent recurrence

●       Promote civic education and youth engagement in democratic governance

We further call on all citizens, particularly young people, to remain engaged, informed, and committed to peaceful advocacy in defence of democratic values and human rights.

To the families of the victims, we stand in unwavering solidarity with you. Your pain is national, and your demand for justice is a collective responsibility.

As we commemorate these days, we reaffirm our shared commitment: to ensure young people's voices are always heard and justice is never delayed or denied.

Never Again. Never Forgotten.

2023 Commemoration of April 2000 Student Massacre