Government’s
spokesperson, Ebrima G. Sankareh, has made it clear that former President Yahya
Jammeh’s safety and security cannot be guaranteed if he forcefully returns to
the country.
“If
former President Jammeh insists in coming to this country without the
permission of The Gambia government, he is doing so at his own will and that
The Gambia government can’t guarantee that,” he said.
Sankareh
was reacting to deputy APRC leader Rambo Jatta’s interview with BBC Focus on
Africa in which he (Jatta) said Jammeh should return without being arrested.
Mr.
Sankareh acknowledged that Jammeh is a Gambian, but he noted that he (Jammeh)
was not an ordinary citizen, as he had ruled this country for more than two
decades.
Yahya
Jammeh has been making reference to the accords he claimed to have signed with
United Nations, ECOWAS and The Gambia government about his return to The
Gambia. However, Sankareh said Jammeh’s claims are in wilderness.
“President
Barrow has never signed any accord or agreement with former President Jammeh
and he has never seen one and he has never been shown one and it appears that
all his hopes are vested in this document imaginary as it were. Therefore, as
far as President Barrow is concerned, he doesn’t know what documents this man
is talking about.”
“Yahya
Jammeh is home sick and it’s very evident in his audio conversation, Sankareh
said, adding that Jammeh is somehow violating the rules of exile for a former
head of state. “He is inserting trouble. He is asking his people to go on the
streets to claim for his return to The Gambia.”
Rambo
Jatta, APRC deputy leader, said they’re following due processes. “We have to
follow first the letter we submitted to EU, ECOWAS and the UN because they are
the one that guaranteed Jammeh to leave the country and that he could return at
any time he feels to returning and we now feel the time is up.”
The
APRC No.2 said trying Jammeh means instigating conflict in the country, adding
“I don’t think that is wise decision the government will do; because they have
immunity in the constitution and I think they should respect that.”
Arresting
Jammeh, he said, should be out of topic of discussion. “In fact, no one dares
to arrest him because we will never sit and watch that happen. He must be taken
to a court of law where if he is proven guilty then he can be arrested, but
just to grab him like that there will be bloodshed; let’s not even go there.”
