The Gambia receives $2.57 million from sale of Yahya Jammeh’s US mansion

The Gambia Reparations Commission has confirmed the receipt of $2,573,414.10 from the sale of a mansion in Potomac, Maryland, formerly owned by ex-President Yahya Jammeh. The funds, recovered through a U.S. civil forfeiture process, have been deposited into a reparations fund at the Central Bank of The Gambia.

The U.S. Department of Justice and Department of State facilitated the forfeiture after alleging the property was purchased with proceeds of corruption through a trust established by Jammeh’s wife. The funds are designated exclusively for the compensation and rehabilitation of victims who suffered human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests, disappearances, and summary executions, during Jammeh’s 22-year rule.

Jammeh, who currently resides in Equatorial Guinea, was forced from power in 2017 following a disputed election. The Reparations Commission, established in 2023, aims to implement recommendations from the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission to provide redress to survivors and affected communities.