Gambia's ex-President, Yahya Jammeh blacklisted by the US
The US has sanctioned former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who
is accused of looting at least $50m (£37m) of state funds before
leaving office last January. He only agreed to leave power after losing
elections following pressure from West African mediators who sent troops
in the country to force his hand and he's now living in exile in
Equatorial Guinea.
A US Treasury statement said that during his 22 years in power he had
a “history of engaging in serious human rights abuses and corruption”.
Jammeh created a terror and assassination squad called the Junglers that answered directly to him. Jammeh used the Junglers to threaten, terrorise, interrogate, and kill individuals whom Jammeh assessed to be threats. During his tenure, Jammeh used a number of corrupt schemes to plunder The Gambia’s state coffers or otherwise siphon off state funds for his personal gain. Ongoing investigations continue to reveal Jammeh’s large-scale theft from state coffers prior to his departure.”
Jammeh is among a host of world figures blacklisted by the President
Donald Trump’s administration, including a business associate of
Congolese President Joseph Kabila and an aide to South Sudan’s leader
Salva Kiir.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin explained the new policy, saying
the US wanted to take "a strong stand against human rights abuse and
corruption globally by shutting these bad actors out of the US financial
system.
"Treasury is freezing their assets and publicly denouncing the
egregious acts they’ve committed, sending a message that there is a
steep price to pay for their misdeeds.”
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