By: Yorro Mballow
Former Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) of The Gambia, Lang Tombong Tamba who happens to be a strong advocate for the home return of former Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh, has in an audio said the former feared ruler has blown off his chance of returning to the country.
“Yahya Jammeh is the reason why he is still in exile. Fabakary Tombong Jatta and his executive went into an alliance with Adama Barrow so that when he (Adama Barrow) wins as President of The Gambia, he would open up for Jammeh to come back just like Jammeh did to Jawara. That was the terms of the agreement; but even before they finished negotiating, Jammeh came out to say he didn’t ask them to go into a coalition to the extent of causing a breakaway in the APRC.”
“This is why I don’t want to discuss this topic. We are all aware when he sent me to jail for doing nothing. For six years, I was in Mile 2 until when I was pardoned. I said I have forgiven all including him. This is why when Fabakary and team wanted to start negotiating with Barrow, I joined them to make sure that he returns to this country,” Tamba said.
He said when he was CDS, he served Jammeh to the best of his ability.
“I saved his life during the Ndure Cham coup attempt in 2006. If that coup had succeeded, we would not be talking about him today. Nobody likes Jammeh more than I do, and I will say it here that I played a significant role in 1994 to help Jammeh become president,” he expressed.
He said he doesn’t feel Jammeh wants to come back, saying that he might be comfortable in Equatorial Guinea.
“Those of you who are talking to Jammeh should tell him that he is no more the president and that he has no voice in this country. He should swallow that,” he concluded.
Erstwhile President Jammeh has been living in exile in Equatorial Guinea since he lost power in 2017.
