President Adama Barrow has dismissed accusations made by former president Yahya Jammeh, who alleged that Barrow is working with the Senegalese government to steal oil from The Gambia.

Speaking over the weekend at a gathering organised by Tabital Pulaagu, a Fula cultural association, President Barrow called the claims “false” and said there was no basis for them.

“They say The Gambia has oil and that I joined other governments to steal it. Even in a dream, such a thing makes no sense. If we had oil, with the vision I have for this country, The Gambia would be like Dubai by now,” Barrow said during his address.

The remarks came in response to statements reportedly made by Yahya Jammeh, who currently resides in exile in Equatorial Guinea. Jammeh accused President Barrow of being part of a conspiracy to siphon oil resources from The Gambia, claims that have not been substantiated by any evidence.

While The Gambia has conducted oil exploration in the past, including offshore licensing rounds and geological surveys, no confirmed commercial oil production is currently underway.

Jammeh, who ruled The Gambia for 22 years, left the country in 2017 following his electoral defeat and mounting pressure from the regional bloc ECOWAS.

He continues to speak to supporters from exile, often through remote audio or video addresses.

By Adama Makasuba