Key facts
- The Gambia received $2.57 million from the sale of Yahya Jammeh's US mansion.
- The funds will be used to compensate victims of Jammeh's rule.
- Jammeh ruled The Gambia for over 20 years and is accused of widespread human rights abuses.
- A commission concluded Jammeh misappropriated over $300 million.
The Gambia will compensate victims of former ruler Yahya Jammeh's regime using funds from the sale of his seized mansion in Maryland, US authorities announced. The Gambia's Reparations Commission confirmed receiving $2,573,414.10 from the forfeiture of the property, which the US stated was acquired through criminal proceeds and misappropriated Gambian public funds. Jammeh, who ruled for over two decades after seizing power in a 1994 coup, is accused of numerous human rights abuses, including forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. A commission of inquiry found that he misappropriated more than $300 million and that his state-sponsored actions led to the deaths of an estimated 240-250 people. Jammeh eventually left office in 2017 and went into exile following regional and international pressure after losing the 2016 election to Adama Barrow.