Exiled former President Yahya Jammeh has released new WhatsApp audio messages from Equatorial Guinea in which he expresses sympathy for Gambians living under President Adama Barrow, accuses the government of driving the country into hardship, and, for the first time since leaving office, recounts the 1994 coup that brought him to power.
The recordings were obtained by Alkamba Times.
Jammeh said The Gambia can no longer be described as the “Smiling Coast of Africa.” He instead called it the “Weeping Coast,” arguing that daily life has grown more difficult under Barrow. He reminded listeners of remarks Barrow made years ago suggesting that politicians could lie to win votes and then govern as they wished. “That’s what he is doing,” Jammeh said. He added that he had warned in 2021 that conditions would worsen and that Gambians had ignored him.
The former leader said Barrow still does not understand the public. Gambians can be pushed, he argued, but only so far. Once they reach their limit, he warned, Barrow will regret having pressed them too hard.
Jammeh also accused Barrow of telling ECOWAS that he was recruiting terrorists or mercenaries to destabilize The Gambia. He told the president to stop making such claims and said Barrow should be more concerned about discontent at home than about an opponent living abroad.
In the same series of messages, Jammeh described the July 22, 1994 overthrow of the PPP government. He said he and his colleagues were “ready to die” and that they told a U.S. naval force then in The Gambia to stand aside or face engagement by the army. He also said President Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea later summoned him to a meeting and informed him of Barrow’s allegations about mercenary recruitment.
Jammeh also urged a Foni Kansala lawmaker, Almameh Gibba, to work with others to reunite his party. He also responded to a Gambian commentator known as Angel Sillah, who has circulated audio threatening to destabilize the country, distancing himself from such threats.
Addressing Barrow directly, Jammeh said the president should not fear him. “You crossed the line already, by turning the Gambia into destitute,” he said.
Jammeh, who ruled for 22 years before losing the 2016 election and going into exile in January 2017, remains a polarizing figure as The Gambia moves toward the December 2026 presidential vote.
