President Paul Kagame received Hassan Bubacar Jallow, former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and President of the Supreme Court of Gambia, and held discussions focused on promoting cooperation between Rwanda and Gambia in the field of justice.
A message from the Office of the Head of State Village Urugwiro via social media said that the two leaders held discussions on promoting cooperation between the Gambia and Rwandan justice systems.
It continued: “This afternoon, President Kagame at Village Urugwiro met with the President of the Supreme Court of Gambia, Hassan Bubacar Jallow, who is on a study tour to Rwanda. They discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the Gambian and Rwandan justice systems.”
Hassan Bubakar Jallow, as a person with a strong history with the Rwandan judiciary, began his visit on May 19, 2025.
During this visit, he visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial located at Gisozi, was also received by the President of the Supreme Court of Rwanda, Mukantaganzwa Domitille, and was shown the functioning of the Rwandan judiciary.
Bubacar also visited a model center that helps in providing mediation services as part of the new policy and is making a significant contribution to the justice system in Rwanda.
Hassan said that Rwanda has made significant progress in the justice system, which Gambia can learn a lot from.
He praised the way it has specialized courts such as the Commercial Court, the use of judicial technology and the way justice can be delivered by others, not just judges.
He said, “In Gambia, we are implementing a five-year strategy aimed at improving the justice system. Rwanda’s progress has helped us use technology to expedite cases, deliver justice that is not only dependent on judges but also on other stakeholders in the implementation of laws and resolve disputes without going to court.”
The Gambian delegation will also visit the Rwanda Institute of Forensic Science and Technology and the Commercial Court, while in June 2025, it will visit the Institute of Legal Education and Development (ILPD).
Bubacar Jallow is a lawyer who has been the President of the Supreme Court of The Gambia since 2017.
He served as the Prosecutor of the ICTR from 2003 to 2016 and also served on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) from 2012 to 2016.
He also served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General from 1984 to 1994 under President Dawda Jawara.
In December 2024, Rwanda signed a security cooperation agreement with The Gambia.
It is an agreement that includes cooperation between the two police forces in matters of security and crime prevention, including; exchanging important information and experiences on criminal gangs, working together to combat cross-border crimes and terrorism, exchanging information based on investigations aimed at preventing, detecting and suppressing cross-border crimes and terrorism, sharing information on activities aimed at maintaining security and public order.
There is also cooperation in training personnel and developing knowledge, exchanging training materials and curricula, and other forms of cooperation that both parties may wish to pursue.
