Below is the full statement of the government:
The Government of The Gambia has noted recent public statements by former President Yahya Jammeh announcing his intention to return to the country after years in exile. The Government finds it necessary to clarify its official position for all Gambians and international partners.
The right of every Gambian citizen, including former President Jammeh, to return home is guaranteed by the Constitution and is respected under international law. However, this right does not shield any person from accountability for serious alleged crimes, particularly those established by credible evidence and documented through the work of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC).
The TRRC has implicated former President Jammeh in grave human rights violations, including murder, torture, enforced disappearances, and sexual violence. The Government takes these findings with utmost seriousness. If and when Mr. Jammeh returns, robust legal processes will be activated in line with The Gambia’s laws. This will include investigation, arrest, and prosecution, with a guarantee of due process, fair trial standards, and respect for the rights of all involved.
The Government wishes to correct recent claims about the existence of a Memorandum of Understanding or any promise of immunity for the former President. No such agreement exists.
The only document contemporaneous with his departure was an unsigned Joint Declaration by the African Union, ECOWAS, and the United Nations. This declaration was a diplomatic effort to secure a peaceful transition, not a binding guarantee; it conferred no immunity from prosecution, nor did it place former President Jammeh beyond the reach of the law.
As a sovereign nation, The Gambia retains the right and duty to prosecute serious crimes within its territory. No political understanding, signed or unsigned, can override this fundamental obligation.
The Government reassures all victims and their families whose testimonies were critical to the TRRC’s work that their pursuit of justice remains at the heart of the nation’s reconciliation and non-recurrence efforts.
The Government reaffirms its resolve to foster a peaceful, just, and inclusive society for all, while safeguarding the rights of every person.
