Gambia: CSOs Demand Independent Probe Into Jammeh-Era Assets Disposal

What the report says

Civil society organisations in The Gambia are calling for independent investigations into the sale and disposal of assets recovered from former President Yahya Jammeh, along with a nationwide forensic audit of the property, funds and other holdings tied to the post-Jammeh recovery process. The appeal comes from a joint position paper prepared after a two-day engagement convened by Gambia Participates in April 2026, as groups reviewed a National Assembly special committee report on the issue.

According to the Foroyaa report carried by AllAfrica, the organisations, alongside legal practitioners, journalists and governance experts, say the parliamentary findings point to possible conflicts of interest, weak controls, unclear mandates and poor record-keeping. They also raised concerns about whether some recovered assets were sold while court preservation orders were still in place, and whether valuation and sale methods ensured fair value for the state. The groups said the evidence suggests gaps in financial reconciliation, account management and documentation across livestock, vehicles, land, properties and financial assets.

The controversy stems from the recovery of assets linked to Jammeh after the former leader lost the 2016 election, later went into exile, and the Janneh Commission recommended forfeiture of certain assets to the state. The government began disposing of some holdings, and parliament later established a special committee in 2025 to scrutinize the process. The civil society groups say the case now raises broader questions about accountability, public trust and the need for clearer laws on how recovered assets should be managed, valued and sold.