The Gambia to pay victims of ex-ruler Yahya Jammeh with proceeds from seized US mansion

The Gambia has announced plans to compensate victims of former ruler Yahya Jammeh's regime using funds recovered from the sale of his luxury US mansion. The Gambia Reparations Commission confirmed it received $2,573,414.10 from the liquidation of the estate, which will be deposited into a Reparations Fund account at the Central Bank of The Gambia.

The funds will be used exclusively for reparations payments, with the commission emphasizing its commitment to managing the capital responsibly and transparently, with due regard for the rights and needs of victims and survivors. President Adama Barrow affirmed the government's oversight of the payout process and stated that it would heed any recommendations from official auditors on allocating the funds to victims.

The legacy of Jammeh's 22-year rule was marked by widespread allegations of human rights abuses, including forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, rape, torture, and the targeted murder of political opponents. The commission of inquiry estimated that state-sponsored violence resulted in the death of 240-250 Gambians and non-Gambians during his rule.

Brief written by urgent.news from GBC Ghana's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.