The Gambia, often referred to as 'The Smiling Coast of Africa,' is a popular winter-sun destination in West Africa. However, many tourists remain unaware of the country's recent dark history. From 1994 to 2017, President Yahya Jammeh ruled The Gambia with an iron fist, treating the nation as his personal fiefdom. Under his brutal regime, dissent and opposition were ruthlessly crushed. Jammeh's notorious hit squad, the 'Junglers,' along with the National Intelligence Agency, carried out tortures, assassinations, and sexual violence with impunity. Journalists were gunned down or disappeared, students were shot in cold blood, and even members of his own family were not spared from his murderous orders.

During Jammeh's autocratic rule, fear of retribution silenced Gambians, denying them free speech. However, with Jammeh's exile in 2017, the country embarked on a journey of transitional justice. The ongoing project of documenting this dark chapter includes photographs and testimonies that give a face and a voice, for the first time in 22 years, to those who survived horrific human rights abuses, to the families who lost loved ones, and to those who bravely resisted.

Despite overwhelming evidence, many staunch Jammeh supporters remain in denial about the litany of crimes he and his associates committed. Shockingly, some of the perpetrators continue to walk freely among the populace. In collaboration with the Gambia Centre for Victims of Human Rights Violations and The Gambia's Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC), this project has evolved into a traveling exhibition. It serves as a tool for dialogue on human rights, transitional justice, and national healing, while also creating a historical record for future generations.

Since 2016, the project has captured over one hundred portraits, personal artefacts, and sites of violations, accompanied by recorded testimonies. Early on, it became evident that many who sat for these portraits found the process cathartic, as it provided them with a long-denied opportunity to share their stories openly. This realization added a profound layer of meaning to the work, transforming it into a deeply collaborative process with those being photographed.

~ Jason Florio