Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – President Adama Barrow is unfazed by the latest threats from his exiled predecessor Yahya Jammeh but insists that if the former ruler returns to The Gambia, he must face justice for alleged crimes committed during his 22-year rule, government spokesperson Ebrima G. Sankareh revealed.
Speaking on Coffee Time With Peter Gomez on West Coast Radio, Sankareh said President Barrow considers Jammeh’s recent audio message as “uncalled for” but acknowledges that the former leader, as a Gambian citizen, has the right to return home. However, he made it clear that Jammeh’s return would not be on his own terms.
“He is a Gambian citizen, and he has the right to come back. Absolutely. That’s why he is wanted,” Sankareh stated. “But the circumstances he is portraying in the audio worry people. He doesn’t want to come back as an ordinary citizen; he wants to take over again. Does he have that power? No.”
Jammeh, who has been in exile in Equatorial Guinea since his ouster in 2017, recently made a speech in which he suggested he would reclaim power upon his return.
But Sankareh dismissed the idea, emphasizing that the country’s security apparatus remains loyal to Barrow.
“Barrow is the Commander-in-Chief. The Chief of Defense Staff, the IGP, the SIS Director, and other security heads are all Barrow’s appointees. How can an exiled former president, facing serious allegations, expect to return and take power?” Sankareh asked.
Jammeh faces multiple accusations, including the killing of over 44 West African migrants, the 2004 assassination of journalist Deyda Hydara, the 1994 execution of his own finance minister Ousman Koro Ceesay, and mass human rights violations documented by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC).
Sankareh insisted that President Barrow remains committed to justice for Jammeh’s alleged victims. “Barrow is not targeting Jammeh personally, but he is keen on justice. The TRRC process would not have happened if Barrow wasn’t serious about it,” he said.
On reports that Barrow sent a special envoy to Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang, Sankareh confirmed the visit but could not say whether Jammeh’s fate was on the agenda.
“If Obiang comes to The Gambia, it depends on what discussions take place. But I am not privy to that,” he said.
As Jammeh’s self-imposed exile continues, the government’s stance remains firm: he can return, but not to power—and certainly not without answering for his past.
