The Gambian and U.S. governments have signed an agreement over repatriating and using funds recovered from the confiscation of the Potomac real estate property, which was linked to the financial dealings of former President Yahya Jammeh.
The proceeds will be allocated to the national reparations mechanism for victims of his regime. Under the agreement, the recovered funds will be transferred to the Reparations Fund – held at the Central Bank of The Gambia – and administered independently by the reparations commission.
This decision comes as the issue of the former head of state’s assets remains central to the transitional justice process underway in The Gambia.
In May 2025, the Gambian Ministry of Justice published an inventory of assets confiscated from Yahya Jammeh, valued at over 1.24 billion dalasis – approximately $17 million at the time.
The inventory included financial assets, real estate, vehicles, equipment, and livestock.
Listed assets included a 14.32% stake in Gam Petroleum, valued at 551.25 million dalasis, as well as shares in Comium Gambia Ltd worth 5.75 million dalasis. The confiscated real estate properties were valued at approximately 202.75 million dalasis.
The management of these assets had sparked controversy in The Gambia following revelations of transactions that took place before the conclusion of the work of the Janneh Commission, which was tasked with investigating the assets and practices of the former regime.
President Adama Barrow subsequently announced measures to enhance transparency and oversight regarding the management of confiscated assets.
At the same time, the issue of reparations constitutes a central component of the transitional justice process. In January 2026, the Gambian reparations commission announced the start of payments to victims of human rights violations committed between July 1994 and January 2017 – the period of Yahya Jammeh’s rule.
The agreement reached with Washington is intended to inject new resources into the reparations scheme, as The Gambia continues the processes initiated to establish accountability and compensate victims of the former regime.
AC/fss/as/APA