The West African bloc ECOWAS on Sunday backed the creation of a special court to judge crimes committed during the dictatorship of Gambia’s former strongman Yahya Jammeh.

The Special Tribunal for Gambia “will ensure justice and accountability for gross human rights violations committed between July 1994 and January 2017”, said a statement from ECOWAS.

This is the first time the bloc has partnered with a member state to set up such a court, said the statement.

Jammeh’s 22 years in power were marked by significant rights abuses and the earmarking of state funds for the eccentric former leader’s personal use, the new government and rights groups say.

He fled in 2017 after losing an election to current President Adama Barrow.