A storm erupted in the National Assembly on Wednesday as Hon. Sainey Jawara, Member for Lower Saloum, delivered a forceful and unsettling warning: former President Yahya Jammeh’s latest remarks from Kanilai pose “a direct threat to national security.”
Rising on a Matter of the Day under Order 51(3)(c), Jawara urged the Government to act decisively, describing Jammeh’s October 26, 2025 pronouncements as provocative, destabilising, and insensitive to a nation still healing from two decades of dictatorship.
“A painful past Jammeh refuses to let this country forget”
Jawara reminded lawmakers of the grim findings of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), which concluded that at least 240 Gambians were killed by state agents, with Jammeh recommended for prosecution over murders, torture, rape, and other grave crimes.
“Given this background,” Jawara said, “it is deeply troubling that the former President continues to make public pronouncements about returning to the country, especially at a time when we are working to consolidate peace and democracy.”
He accused Jammeh of sitting “comfortably abroad” while issuing “divisive and provocative statements” that threaten national unity and retraumatise victims.
While acknowledging the Government’s initial reaction to Jammeh’s statements, the Lower Saloum MP insisted that the response was “not enough,” urging a firmer stance to halt Jammeh’s mobilisation efforts.
“His latest pronouncements have generated fear among Gambians,” Jawara warned, adding that they raise serious questions about the nation’s preparedness to protect its hard-won peace.
Jawara drew a sharp comparison with 1994, pointing out that when Jammeh overthrew President Sir Dawda Jawara, he granted the ousted leader a conditional amnesty that barred him from political life.
“Sir Dawda never attempted a political comeback,” he argued. “Why does Jammeh refuse to respect the sovereign decision of the Gambian people who voted him out in 2016?”
“Never Again must mean Never Again”
Taking a firm tone, Jawara reaffirmed that the TRRC was established legally under the National Assembly and that the 1997 Constitution provides no immunity for perpetrators of human rights abuses.
“No one is above the law,” he declared. “Justice must serve all, equally and without favour.”
Jawara’s final message: Jammeh’s era is over
In a bold closing statement, the MP assured Gambians that the former President’s political chapter is permanently closed.
“Yahya Jammeh can never again be President of this country,” Jawara stated unequivocally.
“The Gambian people are determined to defend their democracy, justice, peace, and accountability will prevail.”
