african commission Mourns Vice President badara

alieu Joof of the gambia as well as gambians.

THE African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has expressed sadness over the death of the Vice President of The Gambia, His Excellency, Badara Alieu Joof, who passed away in India on January 18, 2023.

Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Rémy Ngoy Lumbu, described the former vice president as a great champion of human rights committed to the promotion and protection of Human and Peoples’ Rights on the continent.

“The Commission expresses its sincere condolences to the bereaved family, the government, and the people of The Gambia,” Lumbu said in a statement.

Earlier, President of the Gambia Adama Barrow announced that Joof had died in India after a brief illness, without providing further details.

“Fellow Gambians, it is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing away of my Vice President, His Excellency, Badara Alieu Joof. The sad event took place in India after a short illness. “May Allah grant him Jannahtul Firdawsi,” Barrow said in a tweet on Wednesday.

No date has been set for Joof’s funeral, but the government has declared seven days of national mourning following his death. The vice president left The Gambia about three weeks ago to seek medical treatment and had not been seen in public for months before the trip.

One of Joof’s last official assignments was the official opening of the 73rd Ordinary Session of the Commission, held in Banjul from October 20 to November 8, 2022.

He was appointed Vice President of the West African country in 2022 and previously served as education minister from 2017 to 2022.

The late Mr. Joof was the fourth deputy to serve under Barrow since his historic win in 2016 against former strongman Yahya Jammeh and swearing in the following year, and the second since the president won re-election in 2021.

With the death of the Vice President, the Gambia government has declared a 7-Day National Mourning for late Vice President Badara Alieu Joof. According to the press statement released on the national mourning period, the public is hereby informed that the weeklong mourning should not be misconstrued as a public holiday or an excuse for absenteeism from work.

The 7-day period of mourning, effective January 18, 2023, entails flying the Gambian flag at half-mast, signing a book of condolences at the Presidency, and praying to the Almighty Allah to have mercy on the soul of the former Vice President. All public institutions and schools are advised to remain open during this mourning period.

Therefore, all public and civil servants are to report to their respective duty posts and continue work, as the Vice President would wish the country to continue without him.

Prince Bubacarr Aminata

Sankanu,

the Deputy Government Spokesperson of the Gambia, signed this statement.