BANJUL, Gambia – Victims of abuses committed under former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh are set to receive compensation from money recovered through the sale of his mansion in the United States, turning an asset linked to alleged corruption into a source of reparations.
The Gambia Reparations Commission announced on Tuesday, October 20, that it had received $2,573,414.10 from the sale of the property in Potomac, Maryland.
The commission said the money had been deposited directly into the Reparations Fund account at the Central Bank of The Gambia and would be used exclusively to compensate eligible victims and survivors of abuses committed during Jammeh’s rule.
The transfer marks a significant step in efforts to provide redress to people affected by decades of alleged state-sponsored violations, while demonstrating how assets recovered through international legal proceedings can support victims in the country where the alleged wrongdoing occurred.
How the US Recovered Jammeh’s Mansion
The property became the subject of US legal proceedings after authorities alleged it had been purchased using proceeds of corruption and misappropriated Gambian public funds.
In July 2020, the US Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint seeking to recover the mansion, alleging that Jammeh had obtained money through embezzlement of public funds and bribes from businesses seeking monopoly rights in The Gambia.
According to the department, the property was acquired through a trust established by Jammeh’s wife, Zineb Jammeh.
A US court entered a final forfeiture order in May 2022, transferring ownership of the property to the United States and paving the way for its sale.
The US Justice Department announced on September 18, 2026, that approximately $2.5 million in net proceeds was being returned to The Gambia for victim compensation.
Its announcement put the net proceeds at $2,507,911.73, lower than the $2,573,414.10 subsequently reported by the Gambian commission. The published figures differ, and the available announcements do not fully reconcile the amounts.
Victims to Benefit From Dedicated Reparations Fund
The funds are being administered under The Gambia’s Victims’ Reparations Act of 2023, which established a framework for compensating eligible people harmed during Jammeh’s rule.
The commission has pledged to manage the money responsibly and transparently, taking into account the rights and needs of victims and survivors.
The US-Gambia agreement provides for the recovered proceeds to support eligible victims through the national reparations programme. The money is held in a dedicated fund at the Central Bank rather than being described as general government revenue.
For survivors, the practical significance will depend on how the commission identifies eligible recipients, determines compensation and distributes the funds.
The amount recovered represents only a portion of the wealth allegedly accumulated through corruption during Jammeh’s time in office, making the administration and allocation of the money an important test of the reparations process.
Jammeh’s Rule Ended After Election Defeat
Jammeh seized power in a military coup in 1994 and ruled The Gambia for more than two decades.
His government faced extensive allegations of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture, rape and extrajudicial killings. A national commission of inquiry investigated abuses and the accumulation of assets during his rule.
Jammeh lost the December 2016 presidential election to Adama Barrow but initially refused to accept the outcome. He eventually left office in January 2017 after sustained regional and international pressure, including intervention threats from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
He went into exile in Equatorial Guinea, where he remains, according to recent reports.
A commission of inquiry estimated that between 240 and 250 Gambians and non-Gambians were killed by state agents during his rule, according to reporting on the findings. The wider reparations programme is intended to address the harm suffered by victims of the former regime.
