By Omar Bah
Former President Yahya Jammeh has declared he will “never go to jail.” expressing confidence that he will evade prosecution for his alleged crimes during his rule from 1994 to 2017. Jammeh, who faces accusations of human rights abuses and corruption, has been living in exile since his defeat in the 2016 elections.
Addressing supporters in a WhatsApp audio recorded from his base in Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday, Jammeh said of threats of sending him to jail: ”Let them wait until I arrive, there, we see who is going to jail. All they are telling you is a bunch of nonsense. And whether anybody likes it or not, by the grace of the Almighty, I am coming.
“Those who are saying only my dead body will come to The Gambia will not know when I will come because a dead person will not know when somebody else is coming. They talk as if they are talking to the Almighty Allah, and Allah is telling them that,” he added.
Jammeh then swore seven times that his homecoming will represent a great day in Gambian history.
“Let them not run.”
Dismissal of Tamba
Jammeh has also announced that he has taken “full leadership” of the APRC, dismissing his appointed pick, Yahya Tamba.
“Today, the 22nd of January 2025, I have decided to take over my party, and it will not be entrusted to anyone again. It is a solemn decision that I have taken over and I hereby inform all of you that I have relieved Yahya Tamba of his position. The decision has been long overdue, and I will take full responsibility for whatever happens. I have nobody to blame but myself. I want to thank him for serving, but I cannot leave him in that position because the party is sinking every day,” Jammeh said.
He announced that the rest of the executive stays intact.
“I am aware of the conspiracy that is going on among some executive members but those who want to leave can leave. The door is open for anybody who wants to leave or come to the party without preconditions.” Interestingly Jammeh did not made any mention of the faction of his party led by Fabakary Tombing Jatta.
State of the nation
Jammeh lamented what he called the hardship in The Gambia with healthcare, education, and public safety.
“They are making the country suffer. The Gambia that Gambians were proud of and were respected wherever they went, has become a laughing stock. All sorts of crimes are being committed in The Gambia without anybody being convicted. Armed robbers, rapists, and killers. Our medical service, which was the envy of the world, and you can confirm this from the WHO website, has turned into mortuaries. And those who are responsible are telling you it is better than it was before. That is a lie,” he said.
Marabouts
Jammeh alleged some individuals who don’t want him to come back are going Marabouts in Guinea, Benin, Mali, and Bissau to witchcraft him not return to the country.
