Former Gambian President Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh has written to President Adama Barrow, the Speaker of the National Assembly, ECOWAS, and the United Nations to formally announce his intention to return peacefully to The Gambia later this month.

In a statement issued on his behalf by Hon. Momodou Yafaye Tamba, Jammeh said his correspondence, dated 3 November 2025, sets out his “unequivocal intent and sincere desire” to come back home after nearly nine years in exile in Equatorial Guinea.

Copies of the letter were also dispatched to the African Union (AU) and all diplomatic missions in The Gambia.

According to the statement, Jammeh’s letter is grounded in his constitutional rights as a Gambian citizen and in the ECOWAS–AU–UN Joint Agreement of 21 January 2017, which, he said, guarantees his liberty to return “at any time of his choosing.”

“My departure in January 2017 was done in the supreme interest of peace, national unity, and the preservation of stability,” the former president stated.

“I remain committed to peace and reconciliation, and my return shall be guided by faith, patriotism, and respect for the Constitution of The Gambia.”

Jammeh’s communication to regional and international bodies also reminds authorities that the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) and the Janneh Commission “are not courts of law” and therefore cannot limit his rights or privileges as a citizen and former head of state.

The former leader called for cooperation between Gambian institutions and international partners to ensure “immediate statutory and constitutional provisions” guaranteeing his dignity, rights, and security upon return.

He also appealed to Gambians to “transcend political and social differences” and focus on unity and national discipline, adding that “the stability of The Gambia must never be compromised.”

Jammeh expressed “deep gratitude” to President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and the people of Equatorial Guinea for what he described as “extraordinary hospitality and steadfast brotherhood” since his departure in 2017.

The letter concludes with Jammeh reaffirming his faith in the Gambian people and expressing hope that his return will mark a period of peace and national reconciliation.

“Only peace, unity, and security shall prevail upon my return, Insha’Allah,” he said.

By Adama Makasuba