The Gambia to pay reparations to ex-dictator’s victims from sale of US mansion

The Gambia’s former leader Yahya Jammeh, top, wearing white, waves to supporters at Banjul airport as he leaves the country for exile [File: Jerome Delay/AP]

Gambian authorities have announced that funds from the sale of the country’s former president’s mansion in the United States would be used to pay reparations to victims of his rule.

The Gambia Reparations Commission confirmed Tuesday that it received just more than $2.5m from the sale of a property in the wealthy Washington, DC suburb of Potomac, Maryland, belonging to ex-President Yahya Jammeh .

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The commission, which was set up to compensate victims of abuses committed during Jammeh’s 22-year rule ending in 2017, said in a statement that “the funds were deposited directly into the Reparations Fund account at the Central Bank of The Gambia and shall only be utilized for the payment of reparations”.

“The Commission is committed to ensuring that the funds are managed responsibly, transparently and accountably, with due regard to the rights and needs of victims and survivors,” it added.

Jammeh currently lives in Equatorial Guinea, after he was forced out under pressure from The Gambia’s West African neighbours following his 2016 election loss to current President Adama Barrow.

He is accused of presiding over the murder of political opponents, disappearances, rape and torture.

A commission of inquiry estimated that between 240 and 250 victims were killed by Jammeh’s forces in the former British colony of two million people.

Proceeds from corruption

President Barrow said in a statement that his government would heed any recommendations by official auditors on how the funds would be allocated to victims.

The US Justice Department filed a civil forfeiture complaint in 2020 alleging that the property was bought with proceeds of corruption. A court ordered its forfeiture in 2022.

The property, it asserted, was purchased through a trust set up by Jammeh’s wife.

The US Justice Department had announced in September that it would return the funds from the mansion sale to The Gambia.

冈比亚前领导人叶海亚·贾梅（上图，身穿白色衣服）在班珠尔机场向支持者挥手致意，准备离开该国流亡海外。[图片：杰罗姆·德莱/美联社]

冈比亚当局宣布，出售该国前总统在美国的豪宅所得资金将用于向其统治下的受害者支付赔偿金。

冈比亚赔偿委员会周二证实，从出售位于华盛顿特区富裕郊区马里兰州波托马克的一处房产中获得了略高于 250 万美元的款项，该房产属于前总统叶海亚·贾梅。

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冈比亚因轮流停电引发的抗议活动演变为暴力事件（共3条，此为第3条）

该委员会的设立是为了补偿贾梅22年统治期间（于2017年结束）所犯暴行的受害者。该委员会在一份声明中表示，“这些资金已直接存入冈比亚中央银行的赔偿基金账户，并将仅用于支付赔偿金”。

委员会补充说：“委员会致力于确保资金得到负责任、透明和可问责的管理，并充分考虑受害者和幸存者的权利和需求。”

贾梅目前居住在赤道几内亚，此前他在2016年大选中败给现任总统阿达马·巴罗后，在冈比亚西非邻国的压力下被迫离开该国。

他被指控主持谋杀政治对手、强迫失踪、强奸和酷刑。

调查委员会估计，在拥有两百万人口的前英国殖民地，贾梅的军队杀害了 240 至 250 名受害者。

腐败所得

巴罗总统在一份声明中表示，他的政府将听取官方审计人员关于如何将资金分配给受害者的任何建议。

美国司法部于2020年提起民事没收诉讼，指控该房产系用贪污所得购买。法院于2022年下令没收该房产。

声明称，该房产是通过贾梅的妻子设立的信托基金购买的。

美国司法部曾在9月份宣布，将把出售豪宅所得的资金返还给冈比亚。