The Gambian government has issued a sharp warning to former president Yahya Jammeh, saying he will face arrest and prosecution if he attempts to return from exile next year. The announcement follows Jammeh’s latest declaration that he plans to return to the country in November 2025, nearly nine years after fleeing into exile. In a recorded message broadcast over the weekend to thousands of supporters gathered in his hometown of Kanilai, Jammeh claimed he had reached an understanding with the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, the United Nations, and the European Union to facilitate his return. He also said his exile in Equatorial Guinea was only meant to last six months, suggesting he would soon “come home to lead.”
The government responded Tuesday with a firm statement, reaffirming that no immunity deal exists for the former ruler and that any return would immediately trigger legal action. “Yahya Jammeh remains a person of interest in ongoing investigations linked to serious crimes committed during his tenure,” the statement read, citing findings by the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC). The TRRC, which concluded its hearings in 2021, implicated Jammeh in extrajudicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances, and systematic rights abuses over his 22-year rule. The commission recommended criminal prosecution, but implementation has been slow amid political divisions and fears of unrest among Jammeh’s supporters.
Jammeh, who seized power in a 1994 coup, ruled The Gambia until January 2017, when he was forced into exile after losing the 2016 election to Adama Barrow. His initial concession of defeat quickly turned into defiance, triggering a political crisis that ended only after ECOWAS troops intervened to ensure a peaceful transfer of power. President Barrow, who once served under Jammeh, has previously warned that the former leader would face justice if he set foot in the country. Authorities reiterated that while every Gambian has the constitutional right to return home, this right does not exempt anyone from accountability for serious crimes. Analysts say Jammeh’s renewed defiance could reignite political tensions ahead of the 2026 presidential election, especially as factions of his former ruling party, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), continue to wield influence in parts of the country.
