Former Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh has attacked President Barrow for dragging the Gambia “back to stone age era” and vowed to salvage the country from the grips of poverty. 

Jammeh, who is in exile in Equatorial Guinea, made the statement yesterday (25 May) while addressing his supporters on eve of his 57th birthday which culminated with Africa Liberation Day.

Addressing his supporters via telephone, Jammeh said: “with the supremacy of Allah,I want to assure you that by the grace of the Almighty Allah, I will come and develop the country as I pledged to you.

“There are people in The Gambia who think that I don’t want to come back or I am ignorant of the suffering of The Gambian people. 

“No. If anybody is suffering more in his heart about the suffering of The Gambian people it’s me Yahya Jammeh. But I want to assure you that if anybody who is more concern and hurt about the situation in The Gambia is me Yahya Jammeh.”

The former president continue: “Nothing hurts me more than to see Gambian children not going to school. More than 51,000 Gambian children dropping out in 2021. 

“And the Gambian women and children that I wanted to help and made them proud of themselves and be the envy of the world.

“My Gambian women are now suffering and have now gone back to the stone age. Children are not going to school. There is no security. There is no happiness. Prices are skyrocketing despite the fact of what they promised. 

“But this is a test from the Almighty Allah and I want to assure you that I am deeply saddened about what’s going on in The Gambia.”

Jammeh was sent to exile after losing the 2016 presidential election to former real estate developer, Adama Barrow, who is on his second five-year term in office.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba