By Kebba Jeffang
The Gambia’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice Aboubacarr Tambadou, has called on the United States to include the family members of the former president including his wife, first lady Zeinab Souma Jammeh, on the list of individuals facing sanctions levied on them by Washington.
Among those affected by the latest sanctions include ex-president Yahya Jammeht. Tambadou told journalists at a press conference on Friday that Government welcomed the decision of the US treasury department to insert the names of former president Jammeh, former Director of the defunct National Intelligence Agency and their associates. “While we commend the US Government for this laudable act, we would like to encourage them to do more and therefore call on the United States to include on this list, family members of former President Jammeh especially his wife, Mrs. Zainab Souma Jammeh,” he said. He commended the US Government for their commitment in taking action less than a year, by supporting the people of The Gambia in their quest for justice. “This latest action by the Treasury Department is the result of cooperation between US authorities and the Government of The Gambia,” he said. “It underscores the resolve and determination of The Gambia Government to recover every single butut that rightfully belongs to the people of this country and we will not relent until we are satisfied with our efforts,” he said. He assured journalists and the people of the country of working closely with authorities in the US and other countries and organizations around the world, to help trace and recover assets of former President Jammeh, his family members and close associates wherever those assets may be found. “In this regard, we wish to thank all those who came forward with information and assisted us in this very complex process, and hereby reiterate our call for more information from the public,” he said.
The US justified that the move is to take a strong stance against human rights abuse and corruption.
Meanwhile, this sanction is to set a ‘‘steep price for the misdeeds of the former president and his close associates and collaborators’’ and as an example for future leaders.
