A former Attorney General in the AFPRC junta has told the TRRC that he advised ex-president Jammeh against enacting decrees that violated human rights. 

Fafa E Mbai who was continuing his testimony before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) on Tuesday said: “I strongly advised against all the decrees that I was aware of and considered would be in violation of human rights. 

“Let me tell you, I didn’t accept these decrees. I went against them that’s why I didn’t last long with them [and] that’s why I was called the Human Rights Attorney General when members of the [AFPRC Junta] council including Jammeh himself used to call me ‘uncle human rights’ that tells a story of my role at the time.”

Mr Mbai said he advised the Jammeh regime even if his legal advice was not accepted. 

“I said as the [then] chief government legal adviser, I take full responsibility for the decrees that were enacted during the time that I was the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, but I said even if I accepted this, I advised against violations of human rights.”

The AFPRC junta led by the then Captain Yahya Jammeh is believed to have enacted at least 29 decrees from 1994-1996. 

The decrees became the foundation of the Jammeh dictatorship that lasted for 22 years.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba