By: Alieu Ceesay
As speculation mounts over the possible return of former President Yahya Jammeh from exile in Equatorial Guinea, supporters of his Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) have issued a ten-point demand to Gambian authorities and international organisations, calling for a peaceful, dignified, and constitutionally guaranteed homecoming.
Jammeh, who ruled The Gambia with an iron fist for 22 years from 1994 to 2017, fled to Equatorial Guinea in January 2017 after rejecting his defeat in the December 2016 presidential election to opposition coalition candidate Adama Barrow. His regime was characterised by widespread human rights abuses, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detentions, and large-scale mismanagement of state resources, as documented by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) and the Janneh Commission.
Speaking on behalf of the APRC, national chairman Momodou Yafye Tamba insisted that Jammeh “seeks no confrontation, no destabilisation, no political upheaval.”
“Former President Jammeh seeks to return home peacefully and with dignity and will submit to the law, not to political vengeance,” Tamba declared. “The Gambia must uphold justice, not selective morality.”
The supporters’ demands include security clearance for peaceful gatherings, protection of Jammeh’s constitutional rights as a citizen, and resolution of outstanding issues from the Janneh Commission, which identified dozens of properties and assets allegedly illegally acquired or sold by the former leader during his tenure.
Last week, members of the National Assembly debated Jammeh’s potential return, revealing sharp divisions. Some lawmakers welcomed the prospect of his homecoming as a step toward national healing, while others urged tight security measures, citing fears that his presence could reignite political tensions or threaten stability.
“This is not the season for hostility, insults, or political pettiness,” Tamba emphasised. “This is the season for maturity, responsibility, and peace.”
The APRC maintains that Jammeh is awaiting the outcome of a government committee handling the sale and disposal of his seized properties before confirming any travel plans. Supporters have appealed to both state security agencies and international bodies to facilitate safe and orderly receptions.
Nine years after his dramatic departure aboard a Chadian presidential jet loaded with luxury vehicles and cash, Yahya Jammeh’s possible return remains one of the most polarising issues in Gambian politics, testing the young democracy’s commitment to the rule of law over retribution.
