President Adama Barrow on Thursday received in audience the regional chief of Amnesty International for West and Central Africa, who promised her organization’s unflinching support to the strengthening of human rights and democratic values in the Gambia. Evelyn Petrus-Barry made the remarks while speaking to waiting journalists following a courtesy call with the Head of State at the State House in Banjul.

Stating that their discussion with the President gave them a renewed hope for progress in relation to human rights protection in The Gambia, she pledged her organization’s support in order consolidate the gains that have been registered thus far.
“We understand that there are challenges and limitations that The Gambia is faced with. As a human rights organisation, Amnesty International and partners will try to support the government in moving forward the human rights agenda as much as we can,” she said.

Mrs. Perus-Barry added that her organization appreciates the steady evolution of the democratic culture in the country, despite the difficult past the country endured.
“We knew that after 22 years of difficult regime, things will not be changed in one day’’, she stressed. ‘’However, we wanted to discuss with the President things that changed, especially some of the top priority recommendations that we thought were important in terms of human rights and related agenda”.

Some of the priorities she cited included the abolition of the death penalty, women’s rights as it relates to harmful traditional practices, discrimination against women, abortion, and the ongoing truth and reconciliation process.