The Gambia’s Justice Minister Dawda Jallow, accompanied by Ambassador Pa Musa Jobarteh, the Brussels ambassador accredited to the ICC, attended an ICC High-Level Regional Seminar in Sierra Leone aimed at strengthening cooperation and complementarity with the Africa Region under the theme: A partnership in fighting impunity for the gravest crimes under international law.The two-day event, held on 22-23 October 2026, began with a high-level delegation courtesy visit to His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, led by the court’s Second Vice President, Her Excellency Judge Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin. Given the challenges the ICC has faced with new sanctions imposed on the court, the delegation was reassured by President Bio’s strong support for the court. The event was well attended by ministers and ambassadors from the sub-region, with representatives from The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Benin, Ivory Coast, and Tunisia. H.E. Dr Michael Imran Kanu, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the UN, co-facilitated the event with opening statements by the Court officials and ministers from Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Mauritania. In her opening remarks, H.E. Justice Alapini-Ganou, who herself is under sanctions, stressed that Africans must remain true to our commitment and secure our values. She said Africa currently has 4 out of the18 ICC judges and remains the largest group with 33 member states. She expressed pride that the court is still attracting candidates despite enhanced sanctions and challenges, one of them being the Gambia’s candidate in the person of Justice Veronic Wright, who was accepted as a guest attendee. In sharing the Gambia’s experience, Minister Jallow stated that complementarity is not a line that separates the Court from national systems. It is a shared responsibility that works only when States build the capacity to try the gravest crimes at home and cooperate fully with the Court where national action falls short. He went on to remind member states that the Court has no police, no prisons and no territory, and that every witness and suspect brought before the Court is the primary responsibility of States, because the Court acts only when States are unwilling or unable to genuinely investigate or prosecute. He emphasised that cooperation is therefore a legal obligation, not a courtesy between the Court and its constituting Member States. A takeaway quote by Minister Jallow is that “Cooperation that is selective, slow or conditional is, in practice, nothing but impunity by another name.” He shared Gambia’s commitment by illustrating how in October 2016, under the previous government withdrew its membership to the ICC, but immediately rejoined in February 2017, under the new democratic government. ICC. He cautioned that states should remain members of the court by conviction, not by habit. To update on The Gambia’s transitional justice process, Minister Jallow said Gambia has now passed laws establishing a Special Accountability Mechanism and a Special Prosecutor's Office, and that the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government approved the establishment of a hybrid Special Tribunal for The Gambia, culminating in the appointment of its first Special Prosecutor in April 2026.He echoed that these initiatives are merely foundations, not a finished building, because the Special Tribunal still needs sustainable funding while victims are still waiting for almost a decade. One of four priorities he noted to resolve some of Africa’s justice problems is the need for structured and honest dialogue between African States and the Court. According to Minister Jallow, many Africans have voiced the concern that international justice has been applied unevenly, and that those concerns deserve an answer, not dismissal. Justice, he said, cannot be selective; it must be seen to be consistently applied to the powerful and the weak alike, without regard to nationality or official position. “Let Freetown be remembered not for what we said about cooperation, but for what we resolved to do”.The seminar had several panellist who contributed case studies to demonstrate their views and aspirations in strengthening international justice cooperation. The seminar ended with a renewed, stronger commitment by member states to improve cooperation and partnerships in fighting impunity for the gravest crimes under international law.
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