The Gambia is set to receive $2.5 million from the United States following the sale of a property associated with former President Yahya Jammeh in Maryland.
The funds are expected to be used to support people affected by human rights violations committed during Jammeh’s 22 years in power.
Gambian Finance Ministry officials and representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Banjul signed the agreement on Friday.
The U.S. Embassy said the arrangement demonstrates a joint commitment by Washington and Banjul to tackling corruption and money laundering.
How the property became subject to forfeiture
The property is located in Potomac, Maryland, an affluent community near Washington, D.C.
Zineb Jammeh, wife of the former Gambian leader, purchased the property in 2010.
U.S. authorities subsequently took action against the property, alleging that it had been purchased with proceeds connected to corruption and the diversion of Gambian public funds.
The property was seized in 2022.
The recovery is part of a broader international effort to trace and recover assets associated with the former Gambian government.
Jammeh’s years in power
Yahya Jammeh came to power following a military coup in 1994 and ruled The Gambia until 2017.
He left the country after losing the December 2016 presidential election to Adama Barrow.
Jammeh eventually went into exile in Equatorial Guinea, where he has remained.
The post-Jammeh government has since pursued investigations into the former administration’s financial activities and alleged human rights abuses.
U.S. government records say a Gambian commission of inquiry investigated Jammeh’s financial dealings and led to the seizure of businesses, properties and other assets connected to him and associates.
Supporting victims of past abuses
The latest $2.5 million transfer is expected to contribute to efforts aimed at helping victims of abuses committed during the former president’s rule.
President Adama Barrow’s administration established a truth and reconciliation process after taking office in 2017.
The process examined alleged human rights violations committed between 1994 and 2017, including abuses allegedly carried out by state security forces.
The Gambia has subsequently introduced additional transitional-justice measures. U.S. government reporting notes that legislation passed in 2023 and 2024 supported victims’ reparations and established further accountability mechanisms.
US-Gambia cooperation continues
The return of the property proceeds highlights continued cooperation between the United States and The Gambia on financial accountability and human rights.
For Gambian victims, the funds are intended to contribute to the country’s continuing efforts to address the legacy of the former regime.
The agreement also underscores the wider importance of recovering assets linked to alleged corruption and directing recovered resources toward victims and accountability programmes.
