The Gambian and United States governments have signed an agreement on the repatriation and use of funds recovered from the confiscation of a real estate property in Potomac, Maryland, linked to the financial dealings of former President Yahya Jammeh.
Under the agreement, the recovered proceeds will be transferred to The Gambia’s Reparations Fund, held at the Central Bank of The Gambia, for distribution to victims of human rights violations committed during Jammeh’s rule.
The fund will be administered independently by the country’s reparations commission, in line with the transitional justice process aimed at addressing abuses committed under the former regime.
The agreement comes as the management and recovery of Jammeh-linked assets remain a key issue in The Gambia’s efforts to establish accountability and provide reparations to victims.
In May 2025, The Gambia’s Ministry of Justice published an inventory of assets confiscated from Jammeh with a combined value of more than 1.24 billion dalasis, estimated at about $17 million at the time.
The inventory covered financial holdings, real estate, vehicles, equipment and livestock.
Among the listed assets was a 14.32 per cent stake in Gam Petroleum, valued at 551.25 million dalasis, and shares in Comium Gambia Ltd worth 5.75 million dalasis. Confiscated real estate was valued at about 202.75 million dalasis.
The management of the seized assets had generated controversy following revelations of transactions involving some properties before the conclusion of the Janneh Commission, which investigated Jammeh’s assets and financial practices.
President Adama Barrow subsequently announced measures aimed at strengthening transparency and oversight in the management of confiscated assets.
Reparations remain a major component of The Gambia’s transitional justice programme. In January 2026, the country’s reparations commission announced the commencement of payments to victims of human rights violations committed between July 1994 and January 2017, covering Jammeh’s 22-year rule.
The agreement with Washington is expected to provide additional resources for the reparations programme as the Gambia continues efforts to recover assets linked to the former regime and compensate victims.
