Gambia receives $2.57 million for Jammeh victims

The Gambia Reparations Commission says it has received $2,573,414.10 from the sale of former ruler Yahya Jammeh’s property in Potomac, Maryland, and will use the money to pay reparations to victims of his rule. The commission said the funds are restricted to reparations and deposited directly into its Reparations Fund account at the Central Bank of The Gambia. The payment follows the forfeiture and sale of the U.S. property. The U.S. Justice Department said Jammeh and his wife bought it using criminal proceeds and misappropriated Gambian public funds. The department announced in September that proceeds from the sale would be returned to The Gambia. The commission described the receipt of the money as an important step toward compensation promised in a 2023 law. It said it was committed to managing the funds responsibly and transparently, with regard for victims and survivors. The reports do not specify how the money will be divided among recipients or when individual payments will be made. President Adama Barrow said his government would heed any recommendations from official auditors on how the funds should be allocated. No allocation plan or payment schedule was announced in...