Baba Galleh Jallow

Baba Galleh Jallow is a Gambian academic and journalist who was appointed as executive secretary of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) in February 2018.

Born in Farafenni, Jallow completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Sierra Leone. He became a journalist, and was appointed as assistant editor of The Daily Observer in 1994, following the coup d'etat. He became editor-in-chief, and fought against the odds to maintain the paper's independence during the first years of the Yahya Jammeh regime. He resigned in 1999 when new owners threatened its independence, and he founded The Independent shortly after. As its editor, Jallow took very strong stances against the regime, especially regarding the April 2000 Gambian student massacre. He was a constant target of harassment from government forces, and was in such danger that he was forced into exile in the United States in September 2000.

Jallow completed a master's degree at Rutgers University and a PhD at the University of California, Davis, in African history. He lectured at Creighton University, Nebraska, from 2011 to 2015, before becoming an assistant professor at La Salle University, Pennsylvania. He has published a number of academic books on African history, especially leadership, politics, social justice, and Catholics in Africa. He began working as a visiting professor at the University of The Gambia in 2017, and took a two-year leave of absence from La Salle following his appointment to the TRRC in 2018.

Early life Jallow was born in Farafenni, and nearly dropped out of school growing up. He attended Armitage High School and Gambia High School and completed his undergraduate studies at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.

Journalistic career After graduating from Fourah Bay College, Jallow worked for the National Council for Arts and Culture as a research assistant, and then the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) as an assistant registrar. During his time at the WAEC, Jallow began writing a short story column for The Daily Observer, called 'Story of the Week'. One week after the 1994 coup d'etat, in which army officer Yahya Jammeh seized power from elected president Dawda Jawara, Jallow left his job at the WAEC and was appointed assistant editor of the Observer by Kenneth Best. Jallow has published a number of academic books, and academic articles, including in the Vienna Journal of African Studies, the Journal of Asian and African Studies, Interventions, the Journal of Critical Southern Studies, and the Journal of Religion and Society. He also published a collection of essays about Gambian politics, called Defying Dictatorship, in 2017.

Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission In February 2018, it was announced that Jallow had been appointed as executive secretary of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission. He was granted a two-year leave of absence from La Salle and was formally sworn-in at a ceremony at the State House on 1 March. Following the Faraba shooting, Jallow published an open letter to President Adama Barrow, imploring justice for the victims.