The Gambia to pay victims of Yahya Jammeh's rule from the sale of his seized Maryland mansion
22 October 2026
The Gambia will use funds received from the United States from the forfeiture of former ruler Yahya Jammeh's property to pay victims of his rule, authorities said in a report of October 21, 2026. The Gambia's Reparations Commission said it had received 2.5 million dollars from the sale of a mansion in Maryland that was owned by the former leader of the West African nation. The United States had in 2022 secured the right to sell the property on the grounds that it was acquired through criminal proceeds and misappropriated Gambian public funds. Jammeh, who ruled The Gambia for more than 20 years, is now living in exile in Equatorial Guinea.
In plain words
Forfeiture A court-ordered seizure of property linked to crime — Proceeds of a forfeited asset can be returned to the country the money came from.
Reparations Commission A body set up to compensate victims of past state abuses — The Gambia created one after the end of Jammeh's rule.