The Gambia’s Reparations Commission has received $2,573,414.10 from the sale of a mansion in Maryland, United States, belonging to former President Yahya Jammeh, and the funds will be used to compensate victims of his 22-year rule.
The commission said in a statement on Tuesday that it was “pleased to inform victims, survivors and the public that it has received a total of $2,573,414.10” from the sale of the property. It added that it was committed to managing the funds responsibly and transparently, “with due regard to the rights and needs of victims and survivors”.
United States authorities linked the Maryland property to proceeds of crime and misappropriated Gambian public funds. The US government secured the right to sell the property in 2022 on the grounds that it had been acquired through criminal proceeds and misappropriated public funds. The net proceeds are being returned to The Gambia under the country’s Victims Reparations Act of 2023.
Jammeh seized power in a 1994 coup and ruled The Gambia for more than 20 years. His rule was marked by allegations of human rights abuses, forced disappearances, torture and extrajudicial killings. He lost the 2016 presidential election to Adama Barrow, initially accepted the result but later rejected it. He stepped down in 2017 following intense regional and international pressure, with troops from several West African countries, including Senegal, deployed to The Gambia amid threats to remove him from power. He later went into exile in Equatorial Guinea.
A national commission of inquiry subsequently found that Jammeh owned 281 properties in The Gambia, in addition to properties in the United States and Morocco, and controlled more than 100 bank accounts. The commission concluded that he had misappropriated more than $300 million, noting that his assets could not be explained by his official salary. The inquiry also found that widespread abuses had led to the deaths of “240-250 Gambians and non-Gambians at the hands of the state or its agents”.
The $2.57 million received by the Reparations Commission is a fraction of the amounts Jammeh is accused of misappropriating, but it represents a concrete step towards delivering reparations to victims and survivors. The commission has faced pressure to act with speed now that the funds are available, with observers noting that the money is expected to cover a significant portion of the outstanding reparations balance. For the victims of Jammeh’s rule, the funds offer a measure of recognition, even as the broader effort to recover his assets and deliver full reparations continues.
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