Former Gambian Leader Yahya Jammeh Announces Plans to Return from Exile
BANJUL, The Gambia – In a move that could dramatically reshape the nation’s politics, former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has announced his intention to return from exile next month.
The announcement was delivered via an audio message to thousands of his supporters who had gathered on Monday in his home village of Kanilai. The crowd erupted in celebration upon hearing the news from the former leader, who ruled the West African nation with an iron fist for 22 years.
Jammeh was forced into exile in Equatorial Guinea in 2017 after refusing to accept defeat in the 2016 presidential election to current President Adama Barrow. A regional military intervention by ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, ultimately compelled him to leave the country.
In his audio address, Jammeh claimed that the terms negotiated for his departure allowed him to remain abroad for only six months before returning to contest new elections. He asserted that this period has been unlawfully extended.
“The mediation agreement that I signed with ECOWAS, endorsed by the UN and AU, stipulated that I would travel out for six months and then return to contest elections,” Jammeh stated in the recording. “But it has been nine years now.”
The claim is likely to be contested by the current Gambian government and ECOWAS officials. The original agreement was primarily focused on ensuring a peaceful transition of power and avoiding bloodshed, with the understanding that Jammeh would remain in exile.
The potential return of Jammeh, who now faces allegations of severe human rights abuses including torture, extrajudicial killings, and forced disappearances during his tenure, poses a significant challenge to the nation’s fragile stability. A Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) established after his fall has recommended that he be prosecuted for his alleged crimes.
The Gambian government, led by President Barrow, has not yet issued an official statement regarding Jammeh’s announcement. The planned return sets the stage for a major political and legal confrontation in the coming weeks.
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