BANJUL, Gambia (AP) — Gambia has opened hearings for its Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission as the West African nation starts to address the alleged human rights abuses committed over more than two decades.

The commission hearings began Monday, with witnesses giving evidence on the circumstances that led to the overthrow of constitutional order in July 1994 by a soldiers led by Lt. Yahya Jammeh, who went on to rule the nation for more than 22 years.

President Adama Barrow, who came to power in January, 2017, launched the commission in October, pledging to explore Jammeh-era crimes such as enforced disappearances, summary executions, torture and rape.

Authorities have vowed to right the wrongs of the past and ensure that human rights and the rule of law are central in the country's democratic shift.