Banjul, 28 July 2025 — The Governing Council and Advisory Committee members of the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS) paid a courtesy visit to the Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia, Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, to discuss avenues for deeper collaboration in promoting human rights and democracy.
Executive Director Mrs. Hannah Forster opened the meeting by thanking the Speaker for the warm welcome and the opportunity to engage with the legislature. She introduced the visiting delegation and underscored the significance of the meeting, noting that ACDHRS was established by an Act of the Gambian Parliament. She also spoke on the Centre’s foundational values and ongoing work in strengthening democracy and rights across Africa.
Mr. Femi Falana used the occasion to urge the Speaker and the National Assembly to engage more actively with the Pan-African Parliament on the issue of economic crimes, which continue to undermine development and governance on the continent.
Mr. Halifa Mbye, Clerk of the National Assembly, welcomed the delegation and expressed appreciation the visit. He acknowledged the role of the Speaker in advancing democracy and human rights and affirmed the Assembly’s commitment to supporting such causes.
Justice Solomy Bossa, Chairperson of the ACDHRS Governing Council, emphasized the critical role of lawmakers in the protection and promotion of human rights. She expressed hope that the Centre’s relationship with the National Assembly would continue to grow and strengthen.
Taking the floor, Professor Mabassa Fall highlighted the alignment between the work of the Centre and that of the legislature, noting that both institutions serve the people. He pointed out the Centre’s regional footprint despite its base in The Gambia and commended the National Assembly’s leadership, particularly in addressing sensitive issues like sexual violence.
In his response, Speaker Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta welcomed the delegation and commended the Centre for its tireless efforts. He reaffirmed that the National Assembly operates independently and is committed to serving the people. “Africa’s biggest problems are still rooted in human rights,” he said. “It’s not just about jail and punishment — it’s about creating jobs, protecting women’s rights, and ensuring dignity for all.”
The Speaker acknowledged the immense challenges faced by human rights defenders and stressed the need for greater commitment across the board. He assured the delegation of the Parliament’s continued support, stating, “You can always rely on us. We are proud that The Gambia is the seed of the African Commission, and we must nurture it.”
The delegation includes:
1. 𝐻𝑜𝑛 𝐽𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑚𝑦 𝐵𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑎, 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝘰𝑟 𝐸𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝐴𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎
2. 𝑀𝑟. 𝑀𝑜ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑀𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑎 𝐹𝑎𝑙𝑙, 𝑉𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝘰𝑟 𝑊𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝐴𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎, 𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑒
3. 𝑀𝑟. 𝐹𝑒𝑚𝑖 𝐹𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑎, 𝐺𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑙 𝑀𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑊𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝐴𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎, 𝐴𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑒
4. 𝑀𝑟𝑠 𝑇𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑔 𝐽𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑒ℎ, 𝐺𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑙 𝑀𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑦, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑎𝑚𝑏𝑖𝑎
5. 𝑀𝑟. 𝑆𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑘ℎ 𝑁𝑖𝑎𝑠𝑠, 𝐴𝑑𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑒 𝑀𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑊𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝐴𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎 𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑒
6. 𝑀𝑟. 𝐴𝑏𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑏𝑎𝑔𝑖 𝐽𝑖𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑙, 𝐴𝑑𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑒 𝑀𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙
7. 𝘔𝑟𝘴 𝘏𝑎𝘯𝑛𝘢ℎ 𝐹𝘰𝑟𝘴𝑡𝘦𝑟, 𝘌𝑥𝘦𝑐𝘶𝑡𝘪𝑣𝘦 𝘋𝑖𝘳𝑒𝘤𝑡𝘰𝑟 𝑜𝘧 𝘈𝐶𝘋𝐻𝘙𝑆
8. 𝑀𝑠 𝐸𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛 𝐴𝑛𝑛, 𝐴𝐶𝐷𝐻𝑅𝑆 𝐴𝑑𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑂𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑟
9. 𝑀𝑟𝑠. 𝑆𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑛 𝐺𝑖𝑏𝑏𝑠, 𝐴𝐶𝐷𝐻𝑅𝑆 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑀𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑟
10. 𝑀𝑟. 𝑃𝑎 𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑜𝑢 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑚, 𝐴𝐶𝐷𝐻𝑅𝑆 𝐼𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑂𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑟
