{"id":90864,"date":"2025-11-25T07:36:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T07:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/uncategorized\/jammeh-return-plan-sparks-representatives-meeting-request"},"modified":"2025-11-25T07:51:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T07:51:01","slug":"jammeh-return-plan-sparks-representatives-meeting-request","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/jammeh-return-plan-sparks-representatives-meeting-request","title":{"rendered":"Jammeh Return Plan Sparks Representatives’ Meeting Request"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. <\/strong><\/span>Former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who has been living in exile since his surprising election defeat in 2017, has announced his intention to return to the country. The declaration, issued on Monday by the Office of the Mandated Representative of Former President Yahya Jammeh, raises the prospect of a significant political and legal confrontation in The Gambia.<\/b><\/p>\n

In a detailed statement, Jammeh\u2019s team emphasized that his return would be \u201cpeaceful, safe, and dignified,\u201d portraying it as a constitutional right for a citizen and former head of state. The statement also directly challenged the administration of his successor, President Adama Barrow, to permit his homecoming.<\/p>\n

The planned return of Mr. Jammeh, whose 22-year rule was marked by widespread allegations of human rights abuses, torture, and extrajudicial killings, poses a profound challenge to The Gambia. The country is still grappling with the legacy of his authoritarian regime through a national truth-telling process that implicated him in numerous crimes.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe seeks no confrontation, no destabilisation, no political upheaval,\u201d read the statement delivered by Momodou Yai\u0308ye Tamba. \u201cHis desire is simple: to come home in peace, with dignity, and in accordance with the law.\u201d<\/p>\n

The statement represents the most formal step yet in Mr. Jammeh\u2019s long-rumored efforts to return. He fled to Equatorial Guinea in 2017 under international pressure after initially refusing to concede defeat to Mr. Barrow, who led a coalition of political parties to defeat him at the polls in the 2016 presidential elections.<\/p>\n

Mr. Jammeh\u2019s representatives said they have submitted official letters notifying President Barrow, the speaker of the National Assembly, and regional and international bodies\u2014including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union, and the United Nations\u2014of his intention to return. The letters seek \u201ccooperation, coordination, and assurances\u201d for the move.<\/p>\n

The central argument of the 10-point statement is a legal one, asserting that Mr. Jammeh remains protected by The Gambia\u2019s Constitution and the Former Presidents Act. It aggressively challenges the legitimacy of the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC), which concluded a two-year investigation in 2021.<\/p>\n

The commission found that Mr. Jammeh was responsible for a vast apparatus of state-sanctioned violence, including death squads, witch hunts, and the rape and sexual assault of women. The government has pledged to implement the commission\u2019s recommendations, which include prosecuting perpetrators, but the process has been slow.<\/p>\n

The statement from Mr. Jammeh\u2019s mandated representative, however, dismissed the TRRC\u2019s findings, noting that commissions of inquiry \u201care NOT courts of law\u201d and cannot convict or sentence. It accused the commission of violating the principle of natural justice by publicly defaming individuals, including Mr. Jammeh, without giving them a right to be heard.<\/p>\n

\u201cInnocent until proven guilty,\u201d the statement declared, adding that Mr. Jammeh \u201cwill submit to law, not to political vengeance.\u201d<\/p>\n

The statement also invoked a case currently before the ECOWAS Community Court, where two Gambian judges are challenging their treatment by the TRRC, suggesting it sets a legal precedent for Mr. Jammeh\u2019s own situation.<\/p>\n

In an attempt to reframe the national conversation, the statement drew comparisons to other Gambian leaders. It argued that just as former President Sir Dawda Jawara is not held personally liable for every abuse during his 30-year rule, and President Barrow is not held responsible for specific deadly incidents under his watch, Mr. Jammeh should not be condemned for every allegation from his tenure.<\/p>\n

The tone turned sharply critical in a section accusing the Gambian government of \u201cselective outrage and hypocrisy.\u201d It pointed to a recent visit by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair\u2014whom it described as \u201cone of the architects of the illegal Iraq War that killed millions\u201d\u2014and questioned how the country could welcome him while treating Mr. Jammeh\u2019s return as a threat.<\/p>\n

The press statement concludes with a pledge to follow legal procedures, including requesting a formal audience with President Barrow and applying for permits for peaceful gatherings, all \u201crooted in respect, law, and peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Barrow government has not yet issued an immediate public response. How it handles the former leader\u2019s demand will test the nation\u2019s fragile democracy and its commitment to a reconciliation process that many victims fear could be undermined by Mr. Jammeh\u2019s return.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Gambia<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. Former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who has been living in exile since his surprising election defeat in 2017, has announced his intention to return to the country. The declaration, issued on Monday by the Office of the Mandated Representative of Former President Yahya Jammeh, raises the prospect of a significant political and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":90863,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7,12],"tags":[260],"class_list":["post-90864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-head-lines","category-policy","tag-gambia"],"yoast_head":"\nJammeh Return Plan Sparks Representatives' Meeting Request - Gambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who has been living in exile since his surprising election defeat in 2017, has ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/jammeh-return-plan-sparks-representatives-meeting-request\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jammeh Return Plan Sparks Representatives' Meeting Request\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who has been living in exile since his surprising election defeat in 2017, has ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/jammeh-return-plan-sparks-representatives-meeting-request\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gambia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-25T07:36:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-25T07:51:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2025\/11\/sm_1764044267.621331.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1044\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"696\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/jammeh-return-plan-sparks-representatives-meeting-request#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/jammeh-return-plan-sparks-representatives-meeting-request\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Jammeh Return Plan Sparks Representatives’ Meeting Request\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-25T07:36:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-25T07:51:01+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/jammeh-return-plan-sparks-representatives-meeting-request\"},\"wordCount\":724,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/jammeh-return-plan-sparks-representatives-meeting-request#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2025\/11\/sm_1764044267.621331.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Gambia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"head lines\",\"policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/jammeh-return-plan-sparks-representatives-meeting-request#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/jammeh-return-plan-sparks-representatives-meeting-request\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/jammeh-return-plan-sparks-representatives-meeting-request\",\"name\":\"Jammeh Return Plan Sparks Representatives' Meeting Request - 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