President
Adama Barrow has said his predecessor Yahya Jammeh could return to the country
but would be only welcomed as a private citizen. He added that the state will
offer him protection.
Mr.
Barrow made this remark at a meeting in Foni Sibanor as part of series of
meetings he had in his Meet the People Tour. He said the perception that former
president, Yahya Jammeh can become president after returning to the country
should be taken as a joke, adding that former President Jammeh can only be
allowed to come back to his country as a private citizen and nothing more.
“Former
president can be allowed to come back to his country of origin and stay
peacefully as a citizen but not to become a president again,” Barrow said. “And
I think this should be known to the people. He has to come back and we will
provide him protection.”
He
added that his government was even prepared to provide security, protection and
accommodation to the mother of former President Jammeh even if she were to come
back to the country alive.
“I
told former President Jammeh when I was informed of his mother’s death that
security and accommodation would have even been provided to her even if she
should have come to the country alive.”
He
said the issue of denying citizens’ corpses being buried on Gambian soil
happened during the regime of former President Jammeh, saying it is something
that should not have happened in the first place.