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U.S. bans Gambia’s Yahya Jammeh, family from entering the country

U.S. bans Gambia’s Yahya Jammeh, family from entering the country

The U.S. Department of State has officially declared that it has banned the former president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh and his family members from entering the U.S. over his involvement in corruption and gross violation of human rights.

According to a communique released on Monday, the agency said that it has the prerogative to restrict foreign government officials who engage in practices that violate human rights and fundamental freedoms.

“In addition to the designation of Yahya Jammeh, the Department is also publicly designating Jammeh’s spouse, Zineb Yahya Jammeh, his daughter, Mariam Jammeh, and his son, Muhammad Yahya Jammeh,” the statement read.

Yahya Jammeh was the president of The Gambia from 1996 until he was ousted by the ECOWAS joint operation in 2017 after he refused to hand over to Adama Barrow who defeated him in the country’s national election.

After more than two decades of ruling the small West African country, Jammeh has been accused of sanctioning so many extra-judicial killings of perceived enemies while siphoning the nation’s resources into his coffers.

A committee set up by the government of Adama Barrow had reported that Jammeh stole upwards of $50 million while in office, which he partly used to buy a $3.5 million estate in Potomac, Maryland, USA from former American basketball player Calbert Cheaney in 2010.

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The Department of State did not disclose if the estate will be confiscated or returned to the government of The Gambia since Jammeh and his family are blacklisted from visiting the country.

The U.S reaffirmed its commitment to tackling corruption, stating that it “stands with the government of The Gambia, its people, and civil society in support of The Gambia’s transition towards greater transparency, accountability, and democratic governance, for the benefit of all Gambians.”

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