Ghana renews push for justice over 2005 killing of 44 Ghanaians in The Gambia

Ghana Renews Push for Ju Ghana has renewed diplomatic efforts to secure justice and accountability for the 2005 massacre of dozens of its citizens and other West African migrants in The Gambia under the regime of former President Yahya Jammeh.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the development following bilateral talks with his Gambian counterpart, Sering Modou Njie. The minister disclosed the discussions in a Facebook post on Sunday, May 17, 2026.
While the talks focused on strengthening cooperation in education, health, defence, and support for The Gambia’s foreign policy college, the issue of accountability for the 2005 killings featured prominently.
More than 50 West African migrants, including about 44 Ghanaians, nine Nigerians, two Togolese, and nationals from Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, were killed in the incident. The migrants were arrested by Gambian security forces on July 22, 2005, after their boat landed in The Gambia while they were en route to Europe. They were suspected of being linked to a possible coup attempt against Jammeh.
In the days that followed, the migrants were executed — some in The Gambia and others taken across the border into Senegal, where they were shot and their bodies dumped in wells. Former members of Jammeh’s paramilitary “Junglers” unit later testified before The Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) that the killings were carried out on direct orders from Jammeh.
One witness, Omar Jallow, told the commission that the operation leader informed the group that Jammeh had ordered the execution of all the migrants. The TRRC findings described the incident as a state-backed operation involving senior officials from The Gambia’s intelligence, military, and police services, followed by a deliberate cover-up.
Ghana attempted to investigate the killings in 2005 and 2006, but faced obstruction from the then Gambian government. A 2009 joint United Nations and ECOWAS report attributed the deaths to rogue security officers acting independently — a conclusion later challenged by witness testimonies and further investigations.
The TRRC submitted its final report to Gambian President Adama Barrow in November 2021. It contained 427 findings and 218 recommendations, including those related to the migrant killings. In May 2022, the Gambian government accepted recommendations to pay approximately $600,000 in compensation to victims’ families through their respective governments.
However, families of the victims and survivors’ groups have complained that they are yet to receive the compensation and have not been formally engaged by Ghanaian authorities. Rights organisations have also criticised the amount as inadequate given the scale of the atrocity.
During the recent bilateral meeting, Minister Ablakwa also highlighted the role played by Ghanaian troops in stabilising The Gambia after the 2016-2017 political transition that ended Jammeh’s 22-year rule. Minister Njie reportedly expressed appreciation for Ghana’s support for democracy in his country.
The renewed discussions come as Ghana continues to press for full accountability and closure for the families of the victims more than two decades after the tragedy.