Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Debate at the Fourth Ordinary Session of the National Assembly for the 2025 legislative year intensified on Wednesday as Hon. Sainey Jawara of Lower Saloum and Hon. Alhagie Mbow of Upper Saloum urged the government to respond firmly to recent statements made by former President Yahya Jammeh, describing them as a potential threat to national security.
Raising the Matter of the Day, Hon. Jawara called Jammeh’s October 26 remarks in Kanilai “provocative” and “destabilising,” warning that such statements undermine ongoing reconciliation efforts and reignite fear among victims of the former regime. He argued that the government cannot ignore comments that could influence public sentiment or trigger political unease.
Jawara cited the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) findings, which confirmed more than 240 deaths, enforced disappearances, torture, and other violations committed under Jammeh’s 22-year rule. He said Jammeh’s continued attempts to mobilise supporters from exile are “insensitive” to victims and disrespectful to the democratic mandate through which Gambians removed him in 2016.
He noted that although Jammeh once barred Sir Dawda Jawara from politics after the 1994 coup, he now refuses to accept the sovereign decision of Gambians regarding his own political relevance.
“Yaya Jammeh can never again be President of this country,” Jawara declared, insisting that the government must reassure citizens that justice, peace, and democratic gains remain protected.
Supporting the intervention, Hon. Mbow drew attention to Section 69(3) of the 1997 Constitution, which outlines the conditions under which a former president may face prosecution. He reminded lawmakers that no immunity exists for crimes against humanity and that a two-thirds parliamentary resolution can permit criminal proceedings in the public interest.
“Every Gambian is a victim in one way or another,” Mbow said as he urged colleagues to ensure no legal or political barriers obstruct justice for victims of the former regime.
Mbow attempted to move a further motion urging the Assembly to take a stronger stance on Jammeh’s remarks, but the Speaker ruled it inadmissible, explaining that it constituted a substantive motion requiring formal submission.
The debate has renewed national attention on the slow implementation of TRRC recommendations and heightened concerns about Jammeh’s influence from exile. Victims’ groups and civil society organisations have long maintained that the government must act decisively to prevent any destabilising narratives linked to the former leader.
No official resolution was adopted following Wednesday’s exchanges, but the strong positions taken by Jawara and Mbow have increased pressure on the Executive to clarify its response to Jammeh’s latest statements and their implications for national stability.
