By: Seringe ST Touray
Henry Gomez, leader of the Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress (GPDP) and adviser to President Adama Barrow, has publicly dismissed recent threats made by former President Yahya Jammeh about returning from exile to challenge the current administration. Jammeh, who has been in exile in Equatorial Guinea since January 2017, described his envisioned return as “a day of reckoning” for President Barrow’s government.
In a widely circulated video, Gomez strongly criticized Jammeh’s authoritarian history, stating, “All Yahya Jammeh knows are guns and brute force,” referencing Jammeh’s use of violence and coercion to impose his will during his 22 years in power.
Addressing the general public, Gomez sought to ease fears about Jammeh’s potential return: “Those afraid of Jammeh returning should know that Jammeh isn’t returning anywhere.”
He also sent a clear warning to Jammeh’s supporters and the public about the consequences of any attempted return: “In the event of Jammeh’s return, he’d be captured and taken to court.”
Gomez urged Gambians to move past the Jammeh era and focus on addressing the country’s pressing challenges. “We should be focused on solutions to move the country forward, including solutions to solve youth unemployment and inflation,” he said.
He concluded by cautioning against giving Jammeh any political relevance. “Gambians shouldn’t flirt with the idea of reintroducing Jammeh back into our political system,” he said, emphasizing that “Jammeh represents the past and should be erased.”
