The Gambia has appointed a special prosecutor to pursue accountability for crimes committed during the rule of former strongman Yahya Jammeh, nearly two years after establishing the role.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Justice announced the appointment of British lawyer Martin Hackett, whose experience spans war crimes, genocide and counter-terrorism cases, including work with the United Nations.
The long-delayed appointment follows criticism from lawmakers and civil society groups over the pace of implementing post-dictatorship justice reforms. Officials had attributed the delay to extended consultations and procedural requirements.
The position was created after parliament passed legislation in April 2024 establishing the Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPO), mandated to prosecute cases identified by the country’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). The law also provides for a special court within The Gambia, with the option of holding proceedings in other jurisdictions. The vacancy for the role was formally advertised in May 2025.
During his four-year renewable mandate, Hackett is expected to pursue prosecutions against about 70 individuals recommended by the TRRC for crimes committed under Jammeh’s rule between 1994 and 2017. A truth commission found that between 240 and 250 people were killed by the state during that period, alongside evidence of torture, kidnappings and other abuses.
Hackett is due to arrive in the country before the end of the month to begin his work.
Welcoming the appointment, international war crimes prosecutor Reed Brody, who has worked with victims of Jammeh’s regime, said: “Martin Hackett brings serious credentials: complex war crimes prosecutions, command responsibility cases, work with victims of sexual violence. That experience matters enormously in a case like this.”
Justice Minister Dawda Jallow said the new prosecutor would be required to submit annual reports to the president, the National Assembly, the West African bloc ECOWAS and the Attorney General.
Jammeh, who ruled for 22 years, lost the December 2016 presidential election to opposition leader Adama Barrow. He went into exile in Equatorial Guinea in January 2017, where he remains.
The TRRC, established later in 2017, heard testimony from nearly 400 witnesses and documented widespread abuses during Jammeh’s rule. In its 2021 report, it recommended prosecuting the former president and 69 others.
In December 2024, ECOWAS endorsed plans to establish a hybrid Special Tribunal for The Gambia to try crimes committed during the dictatorship, although the court has yet to secure funding.
According to Brody, Hackett will have the discretion to determine whether cases should be tried domestically or before the proposed ECOWAS-backed tribunal once it becomes operational.
Boluwatife Enome
